Ramadan Mubarak! From Palestine

Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranoush/2800065826/

By rana ossama

“Happy Ramadan”

We are currently in the month of Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan started in the evening of Monday, July 8 and will last until sundown of Wednesday, August 7. Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and great introspection among followers of Islam. Marking this solemn occasion, community members from Redlands Peace Academy have put together a special exhibit of cultural artifacts from Palestine.

Shaheen Zackaria, Sabreen Mohammad, Najoa Bouzidi, and Sarah Kazmi brought and arranged beautiful items loaned to Armacost Library from the Baker Mohammed family, the Al-Ardah family, and the Hasaniya family, all members of Redlands Peace Academy. The pieces on display are different kinds of traditional headwear and dresses, a decorative jewelry box, replicas of the Dome of the Rock, the well-known mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem, a prayer rug, and olive oil from Palestine. Information about some of the items on display are provided in the exhibit.

The Palestinian cultural exhibit will be on display at University of Redlands Armacost Library’s lobby until Thursday, August 8, 2013. The Redlands Peace Academy display is part of the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys activities at University of Redlands, a program that serves to highlight Islam and the cultures, histories, and stories of Muslim-majority societies. Bridging Cultures Bookshelf:Muslim Journeys is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA). All are welcome to visit and enjoy the beautiful cultural exhibit.

Melissa I. Cardenas-Dow
Outreach/Behavioral Sciences Librarian
Armacost Library, University of Redlands
909.748.8089
Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu