Congolese Muslims struggle to keep up Ramadan traditions
GOMA, DRC (MNTV)- While conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo is predominantly Christian, there are sizeable Muslim majority pockets in the central African state. Goma in the east has a significant Muslim population.
Ramadan for Congolese Muslims this year is different from the previous years because of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Muslim residents of Goma gather in a mosque awaiting the call to prayer to break the day’s fast. The mosque has been offering free meals to the Muslim community for years. However, the mosque organizers are finding it difficult to continue the tradition this year, reports CGTN Africa.
As funding dries up and inflation grips the area amidst the raging war, the mosque has no sustained means of financing its many projects any more. It has to rely this year on the charity of others.
Charity in the holy month of Ramadan is highly encouraged, but when people are struggling to survive, being charitable is no longer possible.
The mosque’s prayer leader Cheikh Moosa Haroon Boneza says, “Yesterday and the day before, we could only offer the Muslims tea and bread, so some found that it was not sufficient, so they have not turned up today. But today due to a charitable gift which is otherwise rare, we received bags of rice and beans.”
The people of Goma have been struggling on various fronts. The M23 rebels captured the city in January, killing thousands and dispersing millions. Many livelihoods were wrecked, which means many Muslims in Goma are struggling to be able to fast in the sacred Islamic month, as mere survival seems to be the overriding concern.
Jafar Yousef, a local religious leader, shares, “Comparing this Ramadan with the past years, there is clearly a difference. Our standard of living and financial conditions have worsened and life has become very difficult. It is even hard to find food to break the fast in the evening.”
Another Goma resident shared, “During the war several shops were also looted and hundreds killed. This means that surviving families are no longer stable. Many have also fled the area. The few who remain have no money as all cash is blocked by the government.”
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