Ramadan in the UAE: This Kyrgyz expat misses community iftar and prays together at home – News
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Asangaziev Elim with family and friends. — Photo supplied
For Dubai resident Asangaziev Elim, Ramadan brings back memories of his hometown in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan, a Muslim-majority country, is rich in cultures and traditions.
Elim, who arrived in Dubai four years ago, said what he missed most during Ramadan was the warmth and togetherness of his hometown, Issyk Kul.
“My city is located approximately three and a half hours from the capital, Bishkek,” Elim said. “We have a beautiful lake in our city and that’s why we get a lot of visitors to the area. Most of my cousins and my extended family live in the same town.”
Best memories
For him, one of the best memories of the month was the community iftar organized at the local mosque. “I would meet my friends and cousins at the mosque and all the kids would have different responsibilities,” he said.
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“The youngest children were in charge of going out to pick fruits to prepare dessert while the older children were in charge of peeling, cutting and cooking. Our responsibilities changed as we grew. So after years of being tasked with picking fruit or arranging seating, when you’re put in charge of ‘older’ jobs like cutting and cooking, it makes you feel very grown-up.”
Preparation would begin at least two hours before the iftar. Once the cooking was finished, they would invite the less fortunate in the area for iftar and then join them for a communal meal.
Elim, who lives in Dubai with his wife and two-year-old daughter, said he misses that feeling of community. “For us, Ramadan meant working hard for the less fortunate,” she said.
“That tradition instilled in all of us a sense of generosity. I hope that when my daughter is a little older, she can take her to the mosque at home and teach her the same values.”
praying together
Another of Elim’s memories is going to Taraweeh prayers together with his cousins and friends. “The mosque was a short distance from our house,” she recalled. “After dinner, my friends and cousins, who were also my neighbors, would gather in one place and we would walk to the mosque. It was a great fun time that none of us wanted to miss.”
Prayers in Elim’s hometown began later in the evening than in Dubai. “By the time we were done it would be almost midnight,” she said. “Sometimes we were sleepy, but just being in the mosque and offering prayers with our family was a great feeling.”
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