Today is the first full day of Ramadan!

From Oklahoma Conference of Churches What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, from dawn to dusk daily, to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. CNN's slide show "What you should know about Ramadan" How do I learn more? CAIR Oklahoma is sponsoring a wonderful program called "Revealing Ramadan" on May 22, from 6-8 p.m. This is a fantasticchance to learn more about the Oklahoma Muslim community and the Holy Month of Ramadan! The evening's program will include a tour of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City (ISGOC), a special presentation on the Day in the Life of a Fasting Muslim, and a panel of young professionals sharing their experiences of Ramadan. A sampling of Ramadan inspired halal meals will be served from local restaurants. This event is FREE, open to the public, and family friendly! Please RSVP for this event HERE. (More information available on the facebook event page) How to be supportive Click here for a wonderful article on Ramadan etiquette for non-muslims. Attend an Iftar meal! Iftar meals occur at sundown to break the days fast, and are a great way to engage with the Muslim community during this very holy time of year and learn more. The Dialogue Institute of OKC is hosting a free Iftar for the community next weekend! More info HERE.

A Special Invitation from the Dialog Institute Dear Friends, As the Holy Month of Ramadan approaches we would like to invite you to attend an Iftar (fast-breaking) Dinner with local Turkish-American host families around OKC metropolitan area (including Norman and Stillwater). During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast by abstaining from consuming water or food while the sun is out. Iftar - or fast-breaking - dinners take place each night once the sun sets. This is an important time not only for those who participate in Ramadan because of their faith but also an important time for us to share our tradition with our friends from different backgrounds over delicious food and through lively conversation. It is truly a special time when people of all backgrounds come together and share in the Iftar experience, learning about different cultures and faiths in the process.  This year Ramadan is going to begin around May 16th depending on the moon sighting. To see available dates and RSVP, please click here. We thus very much hope to be able to host you and look forward to hearing back from you! Please RSVP at your earliest convenience. Many thanks and warm regards, Dialogue Institute OKC www.dialogueok.org P.S. We urge our guests to arrive half an hour before the dinner/sunset time to meet with other guests. This is also convenient for our guests who would like to leave right after the dinner.  If you think the dinner is too late for you due to health reasons etc you can kindly ask the host family to serve the dinner for you earlier than the usual dinner time. They would be glad to do it. You can also have some snacks before coming to the dinner on your own since fasting is not required to attend the dinners. Information about the host family, their address and phone number will be shared with you as soon as we finalize the family matching process.