The Muslim Students Association held a fastathon to bring awareness to hunger and poverty in the St. Louis community.

About 100 students, both Muslim and non-Muslim, gathered in Holmes Lounge for Iftar, a meal served after sunset, to break the fast Saturday.

The Muslim Students Association (MSA) raised $2,100 for Project Downtown St. Louis, a local organization whose mission is to provide essential services for homeless and impoverished segments of the St. Louis community. In addition to donating to the cause, over 200 students pledged to fast.

The fastathon began just before 6 a.m. following Suhoor, a meal served before sunrise. Students pledged to refrain from eating and drinking until sunset, and some Muslim students participated in a prayer service led by freshman Ali Elahi before Iftar.

Sophomore Giselle Fuselier enjoyed being exposed to more aspects of the Muslim faith.

“My favorite part of it was listening to the prayer that Ali [Elahi] led. By being in another religion, I rarely, if ever, get to see other people practicing theirs,” Fuselier said. “We have our own places and times of worship so there isn’t much interfaith interaction, except during moments like these, when we can come together and share our beliefs. It was cool to listen to it and get a better view of what it means to be a practicing Muslim college student.”

According to senior Mohamed Gabir, MSA’s president, this year’s fastathon created a space for people from different faiths to share their perspectives on the importance of fasting.

“The initial purpose of fastathon was to create awareness about the issue of hunger and also about the Islamic way of life and Muslims throughout the third pillar of Islam, fasting. In that vein, we worked with UKirk, Hillel, Lutheran Campus Ministry and Catholic Student Union because fasting is an essential component of many religions,” Gabir said.

Fastathon serves as another avenue for students to engage both with each other and with the greater St. Louis community.

“The simple act of breaking fast gives people a common experience to bond over, which helps build bridges in our community,” Gabir said. “In addition, raising money for a common cause, such as Project Downtown STL, gives a simple but powerful illustration of what is possible if we come together.”