Discovering Ramadan

The morning of 911, I heard, “Gather Women.” With no idea of the source of these sacred orders, or where to find and what to do once we gathered, I said, “Yes.” I would come to find those women sitting in a mosque. These women, like me and a small group of 20 others comprising of Jews, Muslims, and Christians, sat down to explore the level of tolerance in our community. Our respective Rabbi, Imam, and Reverend answered the call and brought us together. It’s when I suddenly realized, these are the women I am supposed to gather.

Months later (skipping right over a documentary film we were part of, filmed when we decided to go to Mexico to build a home for a needy family called On Common Grounds) my living room was full of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian Women. We were known in our community as the mothers of all nations- S.A.R.A.H. (The Spiritual And Religious Alliance for Hope.) We convened our community, showed up and spoke up when called, or when it was necessary. We galvanized thousands into service and covertly brought our diverse community together, shoulder-to-shoulder working to serve others and putting aside their perceived biases and discovering common ground.

Every month we met in living rooms to explore who we were through the lens of our highest and deepest belief systems, discuss a world of different topics, or just laugh or dance together. We shared life cycle stories, ancestral wisdom, and stories passed down to us. We also found reconciliation between nations on my green family room sofa.

We celebrated one another’s holidays, including food, customs, and ceremony. The most meaningful of them all, and possibly the most meaningful of any experience I have personally had after 17 years of in-home gatherings and 25 years in total, was when Nadia Ali explained her reverence for Ramadan.

Nadia is a beam of light to begin with. I called her our resident poet. As she began to explain the tradition and meaning of Ramadan, her entire beautiful face transformed into something unworldly. Suddenly she was backlit and all else faded away. She shared with us the meaning of Ramadan is to turn our world upside down, to look at it differently, to feel more deeply through the practice of hunger and withholding other physical needs or desires. In doing so, we grow closer to our source, God, divine spirit. She took us on a certain journey into the underworld where mystery, beauty, and love lives. Our sisters Sahar and Gada too not only speak of the wonders of Ramadan eloquently, but they live it every day through generosity, hospitality, and kindness.

Nadia was also the first to say, “Yes!” before I finished my sentence, “Do you think we women should have our own conversation?” while standing on a dusty street corner in Cumbres Mexico in early 2001. I went home and started printing invitations. Before we had a name, we had a symbol. I searched the then archaic internet for “a heart in action.” I knew at some level I was looking for a way to honor Nadia.

May your world be turned upside down during this season so you might find reverence for your soul’s desire and the deep and wonderous pathway for restoration and reverence for life

Ramadan Mubarak. Ramadan Kareem.

Join us at GlobalWomansVillage.org (formerly S.A.R.A.H.) We are no longer interfaith-focused, yet it’s very much a part of our DNA.

I am the author of The Liminal Odyssey, The Alchemical Power of The Spaces In-Between sandehart.com