Happy Ramadhan

I'm a Muslim. I say that statement, not of pride or pious, but nonchalantly. My Muslim status doesn't affect blogging, nor does blogging affect my Muslim status.  I'm not a Muslim blogger, I'm a blogger who just happens to be Muslim. I don't feel the need to remind people in every other blog post but it's part of who I am nonetheless.

That said, I wish you a Happy Ramadhan.

I love Ramadhan. For once, in this fast-paced society in need to do than be, we stand still. Life moves slowly during Ramadhan, there's no rush or buzz.  Everyone is calmer from being so hungry and exhausted. Everyone is kinder as we try to be the best. Everyone is good.

Muslims fast from dawn till' dusk. We go without food or drinks for the whole month. It sounds exhausting, but I've been doing this for ten years or so. It has become something I look forward to. We do it to feel the lives of the unfortunate, to be closer to God, to be one with ourselves.

During Ramadhan, we count our blessings and forgive those who wrong us. It's usually a wake-up call to remind us that we're human, and that while we're flawed, we're still good. We're lucky to have what we have. I've got a great family, great friends, a great life. Not many do and I realized that a long time ago. 

So I'd like to direct your attention to two websites that focus on giving food to those in need. 

A website I've recently discovered is FreeRice.com. It gives you a simple game. Every answer you get right, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme. Not only is this creative, the game is incredibly addictive. I once donated 500 grains of rice in a single sitting, and it's just so much fun. 

If you'd like to donate money, then I would recommend Action Against Hunger. It is an international organization that intends to end world hunger. Action Against Hunger also provides nutrition, water, and sanitation.You can donate as much money as you like but just $45 would save a life of a child. 

I hope you can visit one of these sites as a way to get to get involved. It would mean the world to me, and to everyone if you could just donate even just a bit of your time. Sometimes, we forget that there are 795 million people struggling with hunger. That's too high of a number. It should be down to zero by now.

So, whether you are Muslim or Non-Muslim, I wish you a happy month. I hope your bellies are full, and you got to smile today. If you know anyone who is fasting, please give them a pat on the back. They are probably half-asleep like I am now. 

If you want more information on how to end world hunger, please visit the World Food Programme.