Members of Qatar’s community are engaging with the spirit of the holy month at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City, as its Ramadan Nights initiative gives them the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Islam and embrace the values of this unique time of year – as well as urging them to recognise the importance of giving back to the world through volunteering.
Ramadan Nights is taking place at QF's Oxygen Park in Education City from 7.30pm to midnight every Friday and Saturday during the holy month, in collaboration with the Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre and Qatar Charity. It showcases Qatari culture and customs and enables people to explore Ramadan rituals in different countries, as well as strengthening social interaction and encouraging visitors of all ages and cultures to adopt healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
The events feature speakers on a range of topics, and these opened last weekend with the first Friday speaker being Dr Abdulwassa Lakl, from the Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre. Further Friday talks will be delivered by Abdur-raheem McCarthy - an American of Irish descent who converted to Islam in 1994 – and Oqlah Jassim, a Syrian teacher at the Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre, who will talk about how the book ‘Spoken’ helps non-native Arabic speakers learn the language.
The series of Saturday talks at Ramadan Nights opened with journalist Saud al-Maadeed, director of the Media Department at Qatar Charity and a presenter of programmes on Alkass Sports Channels. His talk, titled ‘Among the Rubble’, focused on his volunteering experience and the importance of volunteer work, against the backdrop of the recent earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria.
Al-Maadeed said: "Volunteering is a noble humanitarian act that makes you feel the importance of solidarity and doing good, and recognise how simple actions can change other people's lives for the better – everyone should extend a helping hand.”
He spoke about how Qatar Charity has sponsored about 100 families, built camps, and distributed supplies and aid following the earthquake, saying: “Qatar is a strong and pioneering contributor to the international relief work, and I would like to thank all those who contribute to Qatar Charity’s programmes and donation appeals, which give the charity a strong presence in international relief efforts.”
On April 8, the Ramadan Nights talk will focus on ‘Healthy Living in Ramadan’, delivered by Abdulaziz al-Tamami, a QF alumnus and Samla endurance race winner, and Abdullah Shaheen al-Kaabi, the founder of the Athlete 13 Academy for young people.
Tomorrow from 8pm at Oxygen Park, a special edition of Ramadan Nights will celebrate Garangao night, where children will collect nuts and bags of sweets as part of Ramadan customs and traditions.
Every Friday and Saturday, children in Qatar and the Arab world can enjoy the latest series of Siraj, the QF edutainment TV that explores Islamic values through eight episodes that show the stories of eight prophets, with the aim of enhancing the Arabic language and the preservation of Arabic culture and values.
Sports lovers will have the chance to participate in the Ramadan Night Run, organised by TriClub Doha in collaboration with QF. The 5k race starts at the Chef’s Garden at Education City on April 10 at 8pm, and is open to people of all ages and levels. To register, visit https://registration.triclubdoha.com/event/2023/ramadan-night-run.