Senate Resolution No. 522

BY: Senator THOMAS

OBSERVING and celebrating April 12-May 13, 2021,
as Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Muslim
community, in the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is a long and proud tradition of the State of New York
to recognize and applaud customs which foster a spirit of community and
pride as they preserve and enhance the rich cultural heritage and ethnic
diversity of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
observe and celebrate April 12-May 13, 2021, as Ramadan, the month of
fasting for the Muslim community, in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America,
along with Islamic places of worship, called mosques, in all 50 states;
and

WHEREAS, New York State has a relatively high Muslim population
compared to other states; according to the Pew Research Center, two
percent of adults in the State identify as Muslim; and

WHEREAS, Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion
Muslims throughout the world; it is a time for inner reflection,
devotion to God, and self-control; Muslims think of it as a kind of
tune-up for their spiritual lives; and

WHEREAS, There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims;
the third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting, has many
special benefits; among these, the most important is that it is a means
of learning self-control; and

WHEREAS, Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of
bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of
ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of
coming closer to God; and

WHEREAS, Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the
Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds;
as a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and
developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning thankfulness
and appreciation for all of God's bounties; and

WHEREAS, Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a
break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence; while voluntary
fasting is recommended for Muslims, during Ramadan fasting becomes
obligatory; sick people, travelers, and women in certain conditions are
exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able; and

WHEREAS, Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of
all the Muslim forms of worship; Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar; the much-anticipated start of the month is based on a
combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical

calculations; the practice varies from place to place, some places
relying heavily on sighting reports and others totally on calculations;
and

WHEREAS, In the United States, most communities follow the decision
of the Islamic Society of North America, which accepts bonafide
sightings of the new moon anywhere in the United States as the start of
the new month; the end of the month, marked by the celebration of
'Eid-al-Fitr, is similarly determined; and

WHEREAS, The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn
and ends at the setting of the sun; in between -- that is, during the
daylight hours -- Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and
marital sex; the usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor)
before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset; and

WHEREAS, The last 10 days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual
power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good
deeds; the night on which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed
to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is
generally taken to be the 27th night of the month; the Qur'an states
that this night is better than a thousand months, therefore many Muslims
spend the entire night in prayer; and

WHEREAS, During the month, Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an
as they can; most try to read the whole book at least once; some spend
part of their day listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in a mosque;
and

WHEREAS, At the completion of the obligation of fasting known as
'Eid-al-Fitr festival, Muslims use many phrases in various languages to
congratulate one another by saying "'Eid mubarak (A Blessed 'Eid)"--
universal; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
observe and celebrate April 12-May 13, 2021, as Ramadan, the month of
fasting for the Muslim community, in the State of New York; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Muslim community of the State of New York.