During the month of Ramadan and as usual, Moroccans living in Germany adhere enthusiastically to the various activities organized throughout the holy month, participating in collective Iftars, seminars, meetings and Ramadan rituals.
Moroccan families welcome with open arms this blessed month by beautifying their homes to receive, as it should, guests of different nationalities in the pure ancestral tradition and the well known Moroccan hospitality.
The Moroccan community actively participates in various activities organized by the centers and Islamic associations within mosques in Germany.
These activities have found the support of municipalities, Federated States of Germany and local institutions and are focused on promoting a culture of dialogue and strengthening cohesion between Muslims, through holding conferences, meetings, exhibitions and hosting religious parties.
Moroccan women play in this respect a key role in contributing to the preparations for the collective iftar, making the famous Harira, various dishes and cakes, along with other Muslim women who come with their own dishes.
With this profusion of dishes, Iftar is transformed into a festival of culinary art, allowing guests to sample gourmet dishes popular in Islamic countries.
It also offers an opportunity for Moroccans to come together around the same table with the members of the Muslim community whose number is estimated at over four million in Germany, representing various religious currents.
During this holy month, works of charity in Germany are increasing, reflecting the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance true to the month of fasting during which donations and funds are raised for the realization of overseas development projects.
And within families, parents make sure to educate their children and generations about Ramadan virtues. So Lisa Al Mustafa, wife of a Moroccan national wishes to instill in her children Selma and Zineddine (ages 7 and 5 years respectively), the values of Islam and the spiritual significance of the act of fasting.
In a statement to MAP news agency, Lisa, who learned how to prepare the Moroccan Ftour, was pleased to live these moments, saying she invites her friends and neighbors in Germany during the month of Ramadan to come and share with her family the Moroccan atmosphere of Ramadan.
For his part, Asmir Karim, an employee in a company from Berlin, believes that one feels most the atmosphere of Ramadan at home with the cooking smells that fill the air and the Moroccan TV programs which recall the values and rituals of this holy month.
He also said he wishes to fulfill his religious duty despite work constraints and challenges faced by Muslims in Europe, indicating that the area in which he lives with his family has a very limited number of mosques.
This year, the municipality of the region has made available to Muslims an indoor gym for Al-Isha and Taraweeh prayers, which is swarmed by large crowds, he added.
As for his wife, Ibtisam al-Idrisi Yacoubi, employed in the catering sector and who’s been living in Germany for over 15 years, her long stay in a foreign country did not affect in any way her “Ramadanesque” habits nor her roots and Moroccan identity.
She has always celebrated with her family in Germany the day marking mid-Ramadan and “Laylat Al Qadr” (Night of Destiny) by preparing special dishes such as “Roast Chicken” and “Couscous” , dishes which relatives and friends are invited to eat as well.
According to Ms. Yacoubi, such opportunities promote reunion and allow members of the Moroccan community to preserve links with the mother country and strengthen their ties with it.
