Salaams to our readers, and Ramadan Kareem to those celebrating!

Since 2012, MMW has published its Ramadan Series. As writers, these posts are dear and near to our hearts because they are our personal stories. We see these posts as a time to reflect on religion, worship,  family, food, mental health, loss, community, and everything in between. If you have been following us for a while, you will also probably notice that these posts are often a reflection of each writer’s growth and experiences. Hopefully, you will all find something relatable in these stories.

This year, we further want to acknowledge those who do not or cannot fast; those who do not have a community; those who are not in touch with family members; those who have a complicated relationship with Islam; those who have not always been welcomed in Muslim spaces; those who are survivors;  those who experience accessibility barriers; those who experience food and/or housing insecurity; those with experiences of incarceration; those who are undocumented; those whose land is occupied; and those who experience Ramadan at the margins. We see you.

In that same vein, we would like to recognize that Ramadan can be a trying time for Muslim women as well as Muslim queer, non-binary and trans-folks, particularly those living at the intersections of Blackness and Indigeneity. We acknowledge you.

Art by Siddiqa Juma via Al Arte Magazine.

As always, this year’s pieces will address some difficult, but important,  topics such as mental illness and #MeToo, among others. We hope our readers will enjoy this year’s posts. For those of you who are not quite familiar with Ramadan or the terminology around Muslim practices, please click here.

Finally, here are some examples of what you can expect in the Ramadan Series 2018:

• Ramadan (Food) and the Working Girl by Nicole (2012).
• Ramadan: The Mother and Activist by Safiyyah (2012).
• Finding my Essence: An Unconventional Ramadan by Sharrae (2012).
• Sujood in the Kitchen, Tears in the Mosque by Woodturtle (2013).
• On Loving God and Dreading Ramadan by Sobia (2013).
• Ramadan Reflection: On Faith and Trayvon by Guest Contributor Maheen Nusrat (2013).
• When Fasting is not for God (anonymous post) (2014).
• The Ramadan Samosa War by Shireen (2014).
• Darkest Before Dawn: Ramadan in a Time of Disillusionment by Tasnim (2014).
• Be Careful What You Ask: Ramadan and Periods by Guest Contributor Rana S. (2015).
• Ramadan Thoughts on Muslimness and Indigeneity by Eren (2015).
• Listening to Women’s Voices: Highlighting Female Reciters in Ramadan by Krista (2016).
• Ramadan Reflections: Shedding the Burden of Islamophobia by Syahirah (2016).
• Reading Ramadan: Personal Translations by Seema (2016).
• Beyond Fasting: Ramadan Reflections by Fatin (2016).
• A Newbies Guide to Surviving a British Summertime Ramadan by Shereen (2016).
• Ramadan Prayers for Our Unborn Baby by Amina (2017).
• Good Intentions and the Stress of Hosting by Sarabi (2017).
• Ramadan Denial by Anneke (2017).