Nunavut Muslims mark Ramadan with charity, long fasts

The holy month of Ramadan,observed by Muslims all over the worldand across the Arctic,started last Thursday.

DuringRamadanMuslims perform charitable acts. That's why Islamic Relief Canada donated $11,000to the Iqaluit Food Centre, formerly the Iqaluit soup kitchen. The centre feeds up to 100 of the city's hungry each day.

"When we started looking in our own backyard in Canada and realized that there are challenges around food and food prices in the North, we couldn't sit still," said OsamaElsaman,director of programs for the Burlington, Ont.,basedorganization.

"We had to do something and while researching what interventions we could do we came across the soup kitchen."

The long fast

During the holy monthMuslims try to understand the challenges faced by those less fortunate, by fasting from sunrise to sunset. For Muslims North of 60, that means a longer fast than down south, saysMohamed Hassan, general secretary of the Islamic Society of Nunavut, which is currently building a mosque in the Nunavut capital.

"It is challenging being up here in the Arctic.The days are approximately 20 to 21 hours long in terms of daylight," he said. "For some they find it extremely challenging, for others its not as bad because it`s colder."

Elsaman said the donation is enough to keep the food centre supplied throughoutRamadan, which ends July 17. He hopes Iqaluit Muslims will volunteer at the food centre during that time.

"This is the first time we've worked up north," Elsaman said. "We hope it will not be the last time."