Students tell about Ramadan during presentation

Afza Asif of Pakistan and Khaleel Al Farsi of the United Arab Emirates spoke about Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, during the college's first International Coffee Hour of the fall semester. About 50 people attended the presentation. The students spoke about the rationale and benefits of Ramadan and told about their experiences with the annual month-long fast.
Ramadan, which occurs at a different time each year depending on the moon, compels participants to refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activity from dawn to sunset. During Ramadan, Muslims pray for forgiveness and guidance, and seek purity through self-restraint and good deeds. Farsi and five other students enrolled at CSC this fall as part of the Near East and South Asia Undergraduate Exchange Program, which strives to improve relations between the United States and participating countries. Asif is one of two students who came to CSC through a program of the International Research and Exchanges Board, known as IREX. 
The next International Coffee Hour will be Monday, Sept. 20, at the Student Center, with presenters yet to be determined. Frances Gonzalez, CSC International Club sponsor, said students of the club also are planning a celebration for Eid, the holiday that marks the end of fasting.