Ramadan is a holy time in Islam dedicated to fasting and prayer, but some Muslim women are speaking out about the shame they feel during the religious holiday, which runs from May 15 to June 14 this year.
Some women on social media say it makes them feel separated from whatâs supposed to be an important time.
WHY. #MUSLIM. #WOMEN. SHOULD. NOT. FEEL. ASHAMED. TO. EAT. IN. PUBLIC. DURING. #RAMADAN.WHEN. THEY. HAVE. THEIR. PERIOD. #rant pic.twitter.com/HFLnKtv8X0
— Erin đđ (@stanakmu_) May 23, 2018
Jackleen Ibrahim, a student in Australia, was one of the women to sound off on Twitter about the practice.
âI first started my period I was attending an Islamic school in Melbourne,â she says. âEvery girl felt the same. We dreaded having our period during Ramadan because we felt we had to be secretive about it. If you ate in the courtyard then everyone would know you were on your period.â
The young women, already self-conscious in this newfound stage of adulthood, took to eating in secret to avoid being talked about.
Extremely annoyed that people are STILL making muslim women feel uncomfortable for eating during ramadan while on their periods.
— Jackleen (@JayjayChook) May 30, 2018
I am super unapologetic about it around men and I refuse to feel bad or explain myself.
I've had my fair share of embarrassment and I'm over it.
Fortunately, Ibrahim found support from her dad.
âHe sat me down and said, âYou shouldnât feel ashamed. Islam allows you to not fast during your period, so youâre just practicing your rights, please donât feel as if you need to hide this part of your life,ââ she says.
Huda Fahmy, illustrator of the webcomic, âYes, Iâm Hot in This,â explains that there are multiple reasons people may not be fasting, including those who are sick, and women who are pregnant or on their period. She says Allah spoke openly about the rules of menstruation, so it shouldnât be a taboo topic.
Did you know that
— Huda F (@yesimhotinthis) May 23, 2018
Women on their periods, children, the elderly, the sick, pregnant women, nursing women, and those traveling are exempt from fasting! ·
Now you know! đ«đ #Ramadan pic.twitter.com/Na6hJ9lGxA
Privacy was a main concern for many of the women who felt singled out by prying questions. âIâm not about to go hide in a cupboard under the stairs to have a snack during Ramadan,â says Fahmy.
Amina Hassan, a fashion and lifestyle influencer, tweeted out her support for women who didnât want to hide when they were eating. âWhen people notice you arenât fasting they may be quick to make a judgment call on your character.â
Do guys expect us to hide during Ramadan when we arenât fasting bc of our periods?? Foolery
— Amina (@blackishgold_) May 28, 2018
âI think that in order to combat the stigma attached to menstruation we have to think about the âwhyâ questions,â she says. âWhy are women taxed for buying things such as tampons? Why is a healthy bodily function perceived as an embarrassment?â
How women are treated during their period is not the same throughout the faith. âHow youâre treated or expected to do depends on local context and culture, even social class,â Niloofar Haeri, a professor at John Hopkins University, explains. âIf you read different websites from Iran, where Iâm from, they say youâre not expected to fast but that does not mean you canât get closer to God. It does not mean you canât do practices that make you remember God.â
Ibrahim says that people should simply stop asking.
âConstantly questioning a Muslim womanâs faith becomes tiring and old,â she says. âI think during Ramadan itâs amplified because it seems to ostracize us from the rest of the community. Islam doesnât teach you to do that in the first place, so I believe itâs been culturally embedded in our society and community rather than Islam itself.â
She adds, âYouâre on your own journey with God and you know whatâs right or wrong.â