KELANTAN, 20 March 2025 – The month of Ramadan is not only a time of worship for Muslims, but also a period that instils patience, brotherhood, and concern for the surrounding community.

The ‘Ramadan with Us’ programme, held recently at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus Mosque, serves as a testament to how the feeling of harmony and unity can be strengthened through mutual understanding and interaction between all individuals, regardless of religious or cultural backgrounds.

The Director of the USM Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Associate Professor Dr. Aziah Ismail, representing the Director of the USM Health Campus, said that fostering a deeper understanding can build stronger relationships and enhance unity among the university staff and the local community.

“The ‘Ramadan with Us’ programme can be seen as a platform to promote diversity, to understand the differences and to strengthen the bonds of friendship in our society.”

“I am very pleased to see participation from various backgrounds, especially from the USM staff and non-Muslim students, in this evening’s ‘iftar’ (breaking of fast) programme.”

“Your presence demonstrates the openness to recognising and appreciating the beauty of Ramadan, as well as Islamic values that emphasise peace and universal love,” she said in her speech at the event.

Aziah explained that the programme allowed participants to experience firsthand what Muslims undergo during Ramadan.

“I hope that all participants will have the opportunity to experience fasting and breaking the fast for themselves, while also learning about important aspects of Islam, such as doing prayers, the procedures and benefits of ablution (‘wudhu’), the beauty of wearing the ‘hijab’, the Quran, and the role of the mosque as a community centre.”

“I also hope that this understanding will further promote the respect for cultural diversity and foster a deeper appreciation of different religious beliefs,” she further said.

“Hopefully, this programme will serve as a starting point for more initiatives that would cultivate harmony among the different races and religions in our country,” she added.

Meanwhile, one of the participants, Poah Zhi Xian, a first-year student at the USM School of Medical Sciences, said that the programme was highly beneficial, offering a valuable opportunity to learn about other cultures.

“We need to be familiar with and understand the cultures of different communities so that we can develop mutual respect.”

“With this newfound understanding, we can contribute towards a more harmonious society among all races in this country,” he said.

The ‘Ramadan with Us’ programme was organised by the USM Health Campus Islamic Centre, in collaboration with the Islamic Outreach ABIM Centre (IOAC) and the ‘Rakan Masjid’ Secretariat.

Translation: Muhd Akmal Hakim Suhaimi (Practical Student)/Text in BM: Mohd Hafiz Ya’acob/Photo: Abdul Hasib Abdul Rahman