Alumni Blog

By Amina Ibrahim and Anab Nur

Ramadan marks the ninth month of the lunar calendar in Islam. For Muslims around the world, the holy month is spent fasting, refraining from food and drink, from sunrise to sunset.  In Seattle, this means we fast from 4 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. People who participate in the fast wake up before 4 a.m. to eat suhoor (a pre-dawn meal) and then offer a morning prayer. In addition to their normal daily activities, Muslims spend the month of Ramadan increasing their prayers, reciting the Quran, and giving to charity. During this holy month, Muslims reflect on how to better perform Islamic values in their daily lives, such as patience, solidarity, and peace. Each night, as the sun sets, we break our fast with a date and a glass of water surrounded by family, friends, and community members. The end of Ramadan is marked by a religious holiday called Eid-Al Fitr.

Celebrating Ramadan at a university and in a country where many people have never met a Muslim presents an array of challenges. Many people are unaware of Ramadan. Many Muslims I know recall being met with wide eyed shock as they are asked, “Not even water!” after telling a non-Muslim they are observing Ramadan.  Yes, we do not eat or drink anything, not even water. Observing Ramadan while in college sometimes means taking an exam at 2 p.m. when we haven’t consumed anything for over eight hours. It means not always being in community for iftar (the breaking of the fast) as intended, because we are studying for finals.

But, Ramadan at Seattle U has also meant being able to break fast with other Muslim students and Campus Ministry staff members at 9 p.m. It has allowed for Muslim students to pause and spend time reflecting on the purpose of education, social justice, and community. We find ways to connect with other Muslims on campus during this month; we decide on which days we want to break fast together, share tips on how to get through long days full of classes and work, offer up spaces to one another to take quick midday naps, and frequently come together to pray in congregation.

It is difficult to practice a spiritual fast in a community that does not also pause and reflect with you. However, it also offers a unique experience for Muslims in college. We get to find ways to intentionally integrate some of the most beautiful aspects of our faith into our daily lives in hopes that these practices will continue and grow beyond this month. We are constantly looking for ways to reach out to the community around us to share iftar meals, to tell them about our practices, or to extend our patience and solidarity to them when necessary.

 This Ramadan we strongly urge you if you are not Muslim to reach across to your Muslim neighbor. Attend an interfaith iftar at a local mosque and pause and reflect during this holy month.

Nazir Harb Michel, ’08, has a deep sense of mission to the Muslim community, East-West relations and to his deep love of language. He credits Seattle University, especially the Honors program and Sullivan Scholars community, with transforming him into “someone with the courage and wherewithal to seek higher peaks and always work to improve himself.”  

As a student, Nazir rekindled the Muslim Student Association (MSA) just two years after 9/11 wanting to build community. He set out to create a safe space for students to be themselves and part of that included their relationships with Islam and Muslim identity. He also wanted his community to celebrate their strengths, skills and passions beyond this identity. “We were scientists, engineers, philosophers, linguists, dancers, musicians, artists, and goofballs too,” he recalls of his peers and community members. The sense of connection and community Nazir helped to rebuild and create resulted in MSA being recognized with the Ignatian Spirit Award in 2007.

After graduating with degrees in International Studies and Sociology, he went on to earn two masters degrees—one from Princeton University and one from Georgetown University. He then earned his PhD in Arab Studies and Political Interactional Sociolinguistics from Georgetown University, where he also served as Muslim Life Program Coordinator. 

As a post-doctoral research fellow, Nazir worked on Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative, a multi-year research project dedicated to educating the public about Islamophobia.  He guided research on the Danger & Dialogue: American Catholic Public Opinion and Portrayals of Islam published in September 2016. Unfortunately, the report largely finds that most American Catholics hold troubling beliefs about Muslims and Islam. Unable to name similarities between Catholicism and Islam, only 14% of America Catholics have a favorable impression of Muslims. In addition, those who consume content from Catholic media have more unfavorable views of the Muslim community and of Islam. These findings have led the Bridge Initiative to produce factual content for Catholic media and help publishers to distinguish reliable sources from those with Islamophobic agendas.

After the birth of his second daughter, Nazir and his family returned to Seattle where he currently resides. He is the senior associate domain expert for the Middle East and North Africa at Dataminr, a company that turns global data into real-time alerts for tech, corporate and PR clients. He says of his current role, “it is in many ways the culmination of all my years of study and a place to bring to bear the constellation of values that I have been traveling by since my time at Seattle University.”

Nazir is speaking on “Being Muslim in America” on May 4 for Seattle U Alumni Association partner, the Ignatian Spirituality Center. Nazir hopes to create understanding about Muslim communities, open a channel for dialogue and communicate hope. “While I cannot represent all Muslims, I hope to be a sincere ambassador by sharing my stories. If we can build common ground and start to see eye to eye, we can begin to look past stereotypes and politics,” says Nazir. 

This Ignitian Life
Being Muslim in America
May 4, 2019
Social: 9 a.m.
Program: 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
St. Joseph Parish Center

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