Ramadan in the Mormon Heartland

As a Muslim student on the predominately Mormon Campus at Brigham Young University (BYU), I wasn't alone. There were roughly 100 other Muslims students who attended BYU in Provo, Utah, coming from Arab countries, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China and a few other places. My first Ramadan at BYU was the hardest, as I had just arrived and did not know many people on campus.

Ramadan has always been about sharing and big gatherings, but I had to live without those my first semester at BYU. I remember it was a normal thing for me to go by myself to the university food court and break my fast alone over a Subway sandwich or a hamburger. Being alone in Ramadan especially sucks if you come from a family of 10, like me. Followers of the Mormon faith can relate to all things Ramadan -- they fast once a month, they give "fast offering" and have big families where sharing is caring.

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