By Riddima Pandey, Co-Multimedia Editor
As part of the Jummah, an Islamic prayer that takes place on Fridays, many Muslim students found it difficult to pray during school hours. According to sophomore Aasim Umar, many students felt it was impractical to leave school in the middle of the day to go to a mosque. Some juniors and seniors would leave school for the day, missing classes as a result. Freshmen and sophomores are often not able to leave and pray at all.
To solve this problem, sophomores Zainab Hassan, Fudail Ahmed and Najm Ferjani worked to hold prayers during school. After Thanksgiving break, the students worked with guidance counselor Brian Samson, principal Amy Meisinger and assistant principal Matthew Sterenczak to start holding prayers for students every Friday. On Dec. 5, they held their first in-school prayer session in the faculty dining hall.
“It’s important because not only do the teachers become more aware that the Muslims have religious obligations, (but) it empowers the Muslim community in school. It creates awareness that Muslims need a space to pray,” Hassan said.
Participating students are excused from class for the prayers every Friday during the first 15 minutes of seventh period. According to Ahmed, the prayers are a way for students to connect with each other, giving them an opportunity to feel closer to the school community.
“Instead of being disconnected if we were to miss school and just going to the mosque, now our community can have a time at school where we can be together and benefit from each other,” Ahmed said.
Ferjani feels that holding the prayers in school provides an opportunity for other students to learn about Islamic culture and understand their peers’ values and traditions.
“It’s just a great way to share and spread awareness about Islam and more knowledge about it because in school, if I say anything related to Islam, no one really knows about it,” Ferjani said.
Through the prayers, members of the Muslim community enjoy sharing their culture with the school. Umar appreciates the close-knit community that the in-school prayers provide for Muslim Conestoga students.
“We learn about our own culture, our own traditions and our own religion (at the prayer sessions),” Umar said. “We just enjoy listening and learning, praying and getting close spiritually.”
Riddima Pandey can be reached at [email protected].
