Quarantine life: staying connected in isolation
Part 2: Celebrating Ramadan in lockdown
In the second of our series exploring coronavirus lockdown life for members of the Oxford University community, key members behind the first edition of the Islamic Student Society (ISoc) magazine IKHLAAS share how the publication has helped them to not only stay connected during the pandemic, but to celebrate Ramadan together.
(Read Part 1: The Revolution will be organised! here)
How have you found lockdown personally? — Noor Qurashi, Editor (Oriel College)
I’ve missed face-to-face interactions, but oddly enough what I’ve realised is just how powerful the internet is and how it can in many ways actually be used to simulate the community spirit that would normally grow out of real-life interactions. I don’t think the virtual world could ever replace the real one, but it’s interesting to see just how far the internet can go towards bringing people together.
What has quarantine survival looked like for you?– Basim Khajwal, Designer (New College)
As lockdown began I was quite optimistic looking ahead thinking I’d have time to get a lot of things done so I signed myself up to a bunch of different things including some part-time remote work, designing the magazine and a few optional short courses. Naturally, I grossly overestimated how much I could get done and within a few weeks I was back in the typical Oxford routine of running between deadlines from my tutors and various other commitments and have been doing so since. The upshot is that it’s left little room for boredom and, strangely enough, it did feel like I was still in Oxford at times.
The time at home has been great to spend time with my family, especially with the great weather that we’ve had recently it’s been a perfect motivator to get a lot of gardening done together.
One thing I initially struggled with was making up for all the passive exercise I generally got from cycling/walking around as well as the regular sports I would have been playing. Establishing a daily minimal-exercise routing has been a key part of surviving this lockdown for me.
‘I don’t think the virtual world could ever replace the real one, but it’s interesting to see just how far the internet can go towards bringing people together.’
What inspired you to set up the magazine? — Noor Qurashi
The impetus to keep the community connected was there and we were all keen to get the project underway, so it was just the perfect time to set up a magazine.
A lot of the inspiration to set up the magazine came from simply being able to observe the bonds that already existed amongst ISoc members — we realised that a magazine would further strengthen these bonds and bring together individuals from all corners of the society.
We had also wanted to showcase the diversity of thought that exists within the ISoc. This would have perhaps naturally manifested itself more explicitly in the Current Affairs section, but generally, every single piece of content was submitted by an individual who brought their own style and perspective, meaning that diversity of thought could be showcased throughout the entire magazine.
Also, we wanted to make this a magazine that people could really enjoy and engage with — a magazine that everyone could look forward to.
‘The OUISoc committee have worked really hard to make sure that we could still benefit the community in Trinity Term, despite the current circumstances. A large part of the term is Ramadan, so we ensured that there was a religious talk organised nearly every day of Ramadan.’
How does the magazine help your members to stay connected in lockdown? — Basim Khajwal
This first issue of the magazine was initiated just as lockdown was put into place and all of the content was curated under lockdown so naturally it was a central topic where otherwise it would have mainly focussed on the then-upcoming month of Ramadan.
I hope that the magazine has given a platform for people to share their thoughts and what they’ve been doing through lockdown to the wider society in a way of mutual benefit and to cater to the kind of people who resonate with this style of content better than the variety of Zoom talks and socials that the ISoc has so far been doing.
Have you organised any online social activities to help members in quarantine? — Muaz Nawaz, Project Manager (St Hugh’s College)
The OUISoc committee have worked really hard and put our heads together to make sure that the ISoc could still benefit the community in Trinity Term, despite the current circumstances. A large part of Trinity Term is Ramadan, and the OUISoc ensured that there was a religious talk organised nearly every day of Ramadan. Other remote events included Brothers/Sisters Online socials, and even spontaneous Zoom study groups — to keep each other motivated to work in these uncertain times.
‘For Muslims, Ramadan is more than not eating for 18 hours, it’s a month of spiritual development where we better ourselves as individuals.’
Do you think the quarantine experience is different for minority students — if so how so? Abdul Lateef, Content Curator (St John’s College)
I think the lockdown experience affects everyone differently, not just minority students in any particular way. However, there’s usually a social element to Ramadan, where many Muslims go to the mosque every night to complete special night prayers (called Terawih) together. Similarly, during Eid, we would usually start the day with special prayers in the mosque in the morning, and there’s a special joy in seeing familiar (and unfamiliar) warm faces. That of course changed this year, and instead these prayers were all conducted at home individually with our own families.
During Eid, my family would usually gather with our grandparents and cousins. This year, whilst we couldn’t physically meet, we managed to video call each other and played games online instead. That made things much better, because the warmth and joy of seeing each other during Eid was still there.
How has the ISoc made life easier for Muslim students in lockdown? — Rashma Rahman, Access Director at ISoc
The OUISoc Access team has been committed to providing virtual outreach support to prospective students from Muslim backgrounds during the lockdown. The lockdown situation has drawn attention to the deep socio-economic disparities between students across the country and how the most socially disadvantaged students have been significantly affected by lockdown. Our Access team have been working hard on a range of projects, working with social mobility organisations, schools, and the University of Oxford to provide the necessary resources and support for prospective students to aspire and apply to Oxford. We are providing support to ensure the most socially disadvantaged students are aspiring to making a competitive application despite the challenges, to tackle barriers (social, economic and cultural), and to provide insight into being a Muslim student at Oxford University. Keep an eye out on our social media for some exciting insights into our OUISoc community.
How did you make Ramadan/Eid special in spite of the situation? — Muaz Nawaz
For Muslims, Ramadan is more than not eating for 18 hours, it’s a month of spiritual development where we better ourselves as individuals. The whole lockdown situation did bum me out initially, but looking back at Ramadan — lockdown was definitely a blessing in disguise! Being away from Oxford meant that I could structure my day how I wanted it, leaving time for my academic commitments in the day, and acts of worship throughout the night. I’m also blessed that I got to eat my mum’s food one last time in Ramadan, and not a meal deal in my college accommodation.
Eid was really enjoyable as it was something to look forward to after the very monotonous days of lockdown. Last year, Eid fell on the day of my first A-level exam, instantly making this year’s Eid a lot more enjoyable than the last. Although we were in lockdown, and couldn’t make it to the mosque, me and my family also managed to do our Eid prayer at home — which was a nice way to end the month.
What have you learned about yourself during this time? — Noor Qurashi
I think that the situation has led me to really develop more of a sense of what’s important. My priorities have changed and I feel as though I have been able to grow as an individual.
What are you most looking forward to doing when you get back to Oxford? — Abdul Lateef
Getting a late-night kebab from one of the vans, and hopefully bumping into someone I know in the queue!
What advice would you have for other students struggling with the situation? — Abdul Lateef
Just hang in there for a little bit longer! The lockdown and the physical separation from others is definitely a drag, but there are ways we can make things a bit better for ourselves.
Check out our social media for more updates and insight on OUISoc Access and Outreach initiatives:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuslimsofOxford/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muslimsofoxford/
Website: https://ouisoc.org/omac
What next?
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Want to read more? Try our articles on: Being a minority at Oxford, ‘Oxford is a complicated place; it is both very diverse in some ways, and not at all in others’, and How to shine in an Oxford interview.
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