Muslims Begin Observance of Ramadan
B> KAREN M HANSON
Chronicle Staff Writer
Although it s not a national hol
iday. it K a cultural one. ?
Muslims all over the world two
weeks ago began observing
Ramadan, a 30-day period of absti
nence practiced by members of the
Islamic faith.
Muslims who observe
Ramadan do not eat or dnnk during
daylight hours as part of their
efforts to learn self-restraint and
discipline. Ramadan is practiced
during the ninth month of the Mus
lim calendar, which is based on
lunar patterns.
In Winston-Salem's Muslim
community, Khalid Griggs, who has
been celebrating Ramadan for 22
years, said the period is significant
because it has its beginnings in the
Koran, the holy book of the Islamic
faith. ?
"The Koran mentions that
Muhammad was fasting and pray
ing outside the city of Mecca in a
cave called Hira." Griggs said. "The
angel. G^riel, appeared to him and
this was the first revelation to
Muhammad from God, or Allah.
Out of recognition of the Koran,
Muslims are divinely mandated to
_ abstain from food and; drink from
dawn to sunset."
Griggs said observing
Ramadan helps Musjims practice
self-discipline.
"By abstaining from lawful
things ? food and drink and rela
tions with your spouse ? voluntary
^abstinence gives an individual the ~
strength and discipline to abstain
.from unlawful things. It helps to
elevate our behavior beyond an
instinctive level," Griggs said.
"The by-product of fasting is
that those of us who are fortunate
not to undergo hunger are forced to
feel pangs of hunger that so many
people in our country and world
experience out of necessity," he
said. "Ramadan is a social equalizer
for consciousness and physical
abstinence."
Along with tasting, Gnggs said
Muslims also increase their hours of
devotion and worship during the
Khalid Griggs
daylight hours of Ramadan.
But he said there are exceptions
when some Muslims are exempt
'from fasting.
"If someone has an unheaJthy
physical condition or if they are sick
with the flu. they don't have to fast,"
Griggs satd. "But the days thafthey
don't fast, they have to make those
days up once Ramadan is over."
Also, during pregnancy, breast
feeding or during a woman's
monthly menstrual cycle, she is not
mandated to fast.
"The Koran also makes an
exception if you travel long dis
tances," Griggs said. "But we don't
always accept that because of
today's travel conditions. Muham
mad was traveling in the desert, and
it might take two or three weeks to
go 100 miles. Today, we've got
cruise control and air conditioning
in our cars, planes and trains."
Mike Cunningham, of Mike
Cunningham Photography in Win
ston-Salem, is a member of the
Nation of Islam, but his family isn't
observing Ramadan this month. He
said th^y observe it in December. -
"We do it in December to
cleanse oursel v e s~f rom the commer
cialization of Christmas in Amer
ica," Cunningham said. "During
December a lot of people are spend
ing money and talking about Santa
Claus. In order to stay righteous in
that month, the Nation of Islam
observes Ramadan in December."
Cunningham said he doesn't
observe Ramadan just because of
the arrival of the ninth lunar month.
But for Muslims like Griggs,
who are in the midst of Ramadan,
the period will end "when the new
moon is visible or after a complete
30 days," Griggs said.
Baby Contest Was a Success""
The William C. Sims Recre
ation Center. 1201 Alder St. in
the Happy Hill Garden Commu
nity. sponsored its Black History
Baby Contest on March 5.
Infants and toddlers were
dressed as their favorite African
American heroes.
The contestants ranged ffom
newborns to three years old.
The babies and mothers
who participated in the contest
were: Darmail Hardy (Malcolm
X). son of Cynthia Hardy;
Amanda Hardy (Rosa Parks),
daughter of Belinda Hardy;
Whitney Goodwine (Angela
Davis), daughter of Tracy Good
wine; Anita Craft (Shirley
Chisholm). daughter of Debra
Grier; Calandra Penn (Patricia
Harris), daughter of Alicia Penn; -
Abria Penn (Ruby Dee), daugh
ter of Alicia Penn; Deneen and
Kevin Taylor (Shaka Zulu and
^ Sv>. X
1 >>" **'?" **
Reynita & Felecia McMillian
Queen Nefertiti), daughter and
son of Roseanna Taylor; Reynita
McMillan (Mary Lou Wiliiams),
daughter of Felicia Piggott; and
Brianne Davis (Rebecca Cole),
daughter of Angela Davis.
The 1st place trophy went to
Darnell Hardy (Malcolm X); the
2nd-place trophy went to Deneen
Taylor (Queen Nefertiti); and the
3rd-place trophy went to Whit
ney Goodwine (Angela Davis).
All babies and their mothers
received gifts for the participa
tion. Regina Barr led the group
of judges.
Anita Craft
Brianne Davis
* ^
Anbria Shanay Penn and Alice Shanelle Penn
I I ? ?
Upward Bound Seeking New Students
The Winston-Salem State Uni
versity Upward Bound Program will
conduct its recruitment of new pro
gram participants April 1-26.
The Upward Bound program is
designed to increase its program
participants' level of academic,
social, cultural and personal devel
opment in order that they may suc
cessfully complete high school.
Additionally, the program is
intended to make participants more Office hours are weekdays from 8
able to gain admission to the college a.m. to 5 p.m.
or university of their choice.
The application deadline is
Applications are available in April 26.
the guidance offices of Winston
Salem/Forsvth County middle and
high schools for all eight-ninth-and
tenth graders.
For more information, call the
Upward Bound office at 750-2670.
The Choice
The Chronicle
Harris teeter
MEANS LOW PRICES!
25% OFF JUMBO PACKS
U.S.D.A. CHOICE JUMBO PACK
STEW lb
TTSON-HOUr FARMS GRADE "A" FAMILY PACK
FRYER BONELESS
BREAST lb.
JUMBO PACK
GROUND BEEF
MTTIES it.
REDUCED PRICE
mh
TANGERINES for
NAVEL
ORANGES .4 LB. BAG
FRESH
CABBAGE
U.S.D.A. CHOICE
JUMBO PACK
CUBED
STEAK
CALIFORNIA STARl
RUBY REDl
GRAPEFRUIT
5 LB. BAG
40 - 50 COUNT
MEDIUM
SHRIMP
49
REDUCED PRICE
REDUCED PRICE
HUNTER ALL NATURAL
?ICEH
CREAM
HILLSHIRE FARM KIELBASA OR
? SMOKED
SAUSAGE
HARRIS TEETER... LOW PRICES ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPECIAL
REDUCED PRICE
DIET PEPSI OR
PEPSI COLA
2 LTR.
Prices Effective Through March 16, 1993
Prices In This Ad Effective Wednesday. March 10 Through Tuesday, March 16, 1993 In Winston-Salem Stores
Only. We Reserve The Right To Limit Quantities. None Sold To Dealers. We Gladly Accept Federal Food Stamps.