Bridget Finn 0:00

And then as visitors make their way through the exhibit, all right, what are you hoping that they see? What are you hoping they walk away with?

Sameena Zahrullah 0:07

Sure. So I hope that they walk away with a better understanding of really the diversity of the Muslim world. You know, I think a lot of people, you know, their understanding is shaped by media and Hollywood and, you know, those portrayals and obviously what's happening around the world. But sometimes, you know, we get pigeonholed into you know a certain [Soft Music Playing] description. And Muslims come from every culture and every background.

Bridget Finn 0:45

[Soft Music Playing] Hello everyone, and welcome to the Rockford Public Library Podcast. I'm Bridget Finn, Marketing Director of Rockford Public Library, and I'm so glad you're here. One of the things we value most at the library is the opportunity to learn directly from the people who make up our vibrant community. When we open our doors to cultural partnerships, we're not just hosting programs, we're creating space for understanding, connection, and shared experience. Today, I'm honored to be joined by Sameena Zahrullah, representing the Muslim Women of Rockford.

Bridget Finn 1:20

Together, we're gonna talk about the beautiful collaboration between the library and the Muslim women of our community, including the special Ramadan Storytimes for Children and Families, as well as the exhibit designed to educate and inspire visitors about the meaning and traditions of Ramadan. These programs are more than events on the calendar, they're invitations. Invitations to learn, to ask questions, to appreciate tradition, and to celebrate the richness of cultures that shape Rockford. Welcome.

Sameena Zahrullah 1:53

Thank you, Bridget.

Bridget Finn 1:54

I'm so glad to have you here, Sameena. It's wonderful to have you.

Sameena Zahrullah 1:58

Thank you for inviting me. I appreciate it.

Bridget Finn 2:00

It's my pleasure. Sameena Zahrullah is here from the Muslim Women of Rockford. And, she's here to talk to us about the partnership with the Rockford Public Library that the Muslim Women of Rockford are doing to celebrate Ramadan.

Sameena Zahrullah 2:15

That's right.

Bridget Finn 2:16

Teach the community about Ramadan. So, you know, to begin, I'd love to just ask you for our listeners who may be experiencing Ramadan for the first time through the exhibit on the story times that your group is hosting. What you know, what is Ramadan?

Sameena Zahrullah 2:32

Sure, sure. So for, and I think many people are not familiar. So Ramadan is actually it's the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. And the Islamic calendar has 12 months. What's important to note is it's a lunar calendar, so the dates shift by 10 days every year. So you'll go up to a Muslim and say, hey, when's Ramadan this year? They're not gonna be able to tell you exactly.

Sameena Zahrullah 2:54

So even today I can tell you that most probably it will start on February 18th, but it really depends on the moon cycle. And then the month can be 29 or 30 days. But yeah, so Ramadan is the ninth month in the calendar. But it's one of the holier months in Islam for a few reasons. One of which is that it is when the Quran, the holy book, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. But also it's the month in which Muslims are commanded by God, Allah in Arabic, to fast from sunrise to sunset. And I think that's what most people associate Ramadan with is the fasting. So yeah, we're coming up on it just you know in under three weeks.

Bridget Finn 3:31

Right, mid-February.

Sameena Zahrullah 3:32

Correct.

Bridget Finn 3:33

And so your group has is hosting an exhibit here at Rockford Public Library and our Elias Casper Gallery on the third floor. Yes. And you are also hosting some story times. But I I like I I'm excited to talk about the exhibit. Exhibit's entitled Threads, that threads that Threads That Bind Ramadan, Dress, and Service.

Sameena Zahrullah 3:57

Yes.

Bridget Finn 3:58

What does that phrase mean to you?

Sameena Zahrullah 4:00

It's funny you say that. We sort of were playing around with ideas in our group. You know, we have a group chat and we're throwing out ideas, and we we actually had this idea last year when we approach approached you for the exhibit, and we weren't able to put it together then, but we really wanted to showcase clothing. So we went with that theme, but then we said, you know, Ramadan is about so many things, and it is about charity and giving, and you know, how can we incorporate that? So, along with the exhibit showcasing various clothing, we're also gonna have displays about the way the Muslim community here in Rockford taps into charity aspect of being a Muslim and specifically during Ramadan.

Bridget Finn 4:40

So that's the the giving aspect of Ramadan is a is always a part of Ramadan. There's always a theme.

Sameena Zahrullah 4:47

It's always a theme, and to take a step back, the act of charity, it's called Zagat, is actually one of the five pillars of Islam. So Muslims should be practicing that throughout the year. But in Ramadan, it's more increased because the blessings are increased. And so people do take that opportunity to not only give financially, but give with their time and their actions in whatever way they can improve the community around them.

Bridget Finn 5:12

Wow, fantastic. And so can you tell me about some of the initiatives that your community is involved in?

Sameena Zahrullah 5:20

Of course, of course. So over the years, and then as the community grows, I see you know the events and the opportunities increasing in volume. But we have food drives. You know, sadly, food insecurity is an issue not just in the Muslim community, but in Rockford as a whole. So over the years, we've always tried to participate in either canned food drives or peanut butter and jelly drives, but that's a very important component of giving back to the community. During COVID, we had a grocery box drive that was open to everyone.

Sameena Zahrullah 5:52

And so, you know, that that's a very meaningful project that people take part in. They participate in soup kitchens at various locations in the city. Along with that, we have clothing drives during the winter. We do coat and hat drives. We have done a feminine hygiene product drive for newly arrived refugee women because oftentimes when they're placed into their their living situations, they're given basic supplies, but believe it or not, sometimes that's something that's lacking. So we did that last year. That was very well received where we collected products and then we distributed them in the boxes to families newly arrived.

Sameena Zahrullah 6:34

And then, yeah, we have a free health clinic that a few members from the Muslim community from the mosque established. It's called the Shifa Clinic, and Shifa means health in Arabic. And it is housed in the mosque that is off of Arthur Avenue called Iqhnah Rockford, Islamic Circle of North America Rockford Branch. And so Shifa Clinic is a free health clinic. Doctors from the community rotate through there and provide services like blood pressure screenings and basic checkups and then direct people to appropriate further care if it's needed.

Bridget Finn 7:10

Okay. And that's open to everyone?

Sameena Zahrullah 7:12

That is open to everyone, yes. And if you want, you know, we can certainly share the information that you know that can be shared with the community later on.

Bridget Finn 7:20

Yeah, please we will definitely include information in our show notes. So yes, thank you so much. What an amazing, amazing way to serve the community. Yeah, yeah. Why is it important for you to serve the greater Rockford community?

Sameena Zahrullah 7:37

You know, I've lived in Rockford now for 25 years. And, you know, growing I grew up in the Detroit suburbs in Michigan, and my parents, you know, my mom always very involved with the community. It's something that I grew up with. It's fundamental to the faith, but also I think, you know, as for most families, you know, it's it's a family value that many people carry of giving back to the community.

Sameena Zahrullah 7:58

I think Rockford especially is very open to people supporting the community in different ways. There's opportunities where everybody can step up and help. And so, you know, now to combine, you know, I would do things individually, but then over the last few years I've tried to sort of gather this group of women, whoever has the time and energy. We try to find different projects because again, it is a fundamental part of the faith, but also, you know, it's just it's you know, it's being a good person. Yeah, it's fun.

Bridget Finn 8:28

No, it's and it's and I find that it's community building. Yes, and so when you're part of a group, it is is it it strengthens your community to serve the larger community.

Sameena Zahrullah 8:39

Certainly.

Bridget Finn 8:40

And I have questions about the the Muslim Women of Rockford.

Sameena Zahrullah 8:43

Sure.

Bridget Finn 8:43

Did you found the group?

Sameena Zahrullah 8:45

No, so believe it or not, Muslim Women of Rockford is the name of our chat group on WhatsApp.

Bridget Finn 8:50

Perfect.

Sameena Zahrullah 8:50

And I cannot take credit for that. We have a lovely woman in our community, Ragad, who created the group, and I think, gosh, we have like over 300 women in the chat now. And people come and go, and it's just a place for us to share things, but it's also an opportunity to say, hey, you know what? They're looking for ESL tutors at United Way. Is anybody interested? You know, we'll share messages like that. So that is the group.

Sameena Zahrullah 9:14

And last year I was seeing that back in Michigan where I grew up and even in the Chicagoland suburbs, I was seeing initiatives during Ramadan of library story times and you know, city halls having displays about Muslims in their community. And I thought, you know, there's absolutely no reason why that can't be done in Rockford. I know how welcoming this community is. We have a beautiful, you know, library system, and so I want to take advantage of that. So I had the idea last year of hey, let's do a story time, and it sort of went from there.

Bridget Finn 9:46

And it's been a wonderful partnership with us.

Sameena Zahrullah 9:48

It has been, you know, the Rockford Public Library, it really is a community space. It gives people an opportunity to come and learn and be exposed. You know, I'm sitting right now in, you know, in the podcast studio. I mean, there's great opportunity, it's a beautiful building. But more than that, it, you know, it is such a strong part of the fabric of our city, and it really adds so much value. And so we're so thrilled, you know, you and everybody else has been so welcoming and has really you know held space for us and created space for us to share.

Bridget Finn 10:19

I'm I'm so glad to hear that you feel that way. I certainly feel that way. We partnered for the first time on an exhibit last year during Ramadan. It was our best attended exhibit of 2025 up on the third floor. So, you know, we're happy for it. And, I believe that the you and your your friends, the women who have put these on, are, you know, doing so with their hearts open. And, you know, it's it's exciting to learn about these things. You know. I have a question about women specifically.

Sameena Zahrullah 10:51

Sure.

Bridget Finn 10:51

What role do women play in shaping the spirit of Ramadan and families and communities?

Sameena Zahrullah 10:57

Yeah, of course. Obviously traditional roles have changed for women, but I think fundamentally at the end of the day, it is women that hold down the fort that sort of give the organizational and emotional structure to their homes and to their circles and their communities. And so for Ramadan, you know, it will be the mom who makes sure that the kids are waking up in the morning for the pre-fast meal. And, you know, the women are sort of, you know, making sure that that sense of tradition and culture and of course faith is is felt in the home.

Sameena Zahrullah 11:33

And that preparation begins, you know, even weeks prior. You know, there's a lot of anticipation before Ramadan starts. But but yeah, I think women at, you know, at the end of the day, I think women really run the world. And you know, and yeah, and you know, just the that they, you know, make that foundation for their families and their community.

Bridget Finn 11:54

Yeah, very cool. I want to talk a little bit about the garments.

Sameena Zahrullah 11:58

Oh, sure.

Bridget Finn 11:59

Clothing plays a central role in the exhibit. Why is dress such a meaningful expression during Ramadan?

Sameena Zahrullah 12:05

Yeah, of course. So you know, obviously clothing has you know so many functions. You know, it protects us, it gives us cover, you know, it gives us modesty, but then also people wear clothing as an expression of their personalities and their culture and you know, many things. And so we wanted to focus on the clothing specifically in this exhibit to show the diversity in the Muslim world and just the Muslim community here in Rockford.

Sameena Zahrullah 12:29

So you're gonna see we've tried to curate garments that cover many cultures. So you're gonna see South Asian clothing and clothing from various Middle Eastern countries, African countries. And you know, the clothing is I I think primarily we've chosen outfits that they would like most likely be worn at the end of Ramadan when we have our Eid holiday, the celebration. And so the clothing reflects that in the colors and the fabrics and the embroidery, just that celebratory aspect of, you know, coming through Ramadan and now gathering again with family and community and celebrating.

Bridget Finn 13:06

The garments are beautiful. I saw two outfits and an accessory earlier, and they are they are so beautiful, and there's such care and hand embroidery and obviously put together by artisans, right? And just such great work. And wonderful the initiatives, but worth it to come check out the fashion.

Sameena Zahrullah 13:28

Absolutely.

Bridget Finn 13:30

And see it. I think that's amazing. And then as visitors make their way through the exhibit, all right, what are you hoping that they see? What are you hoping they walk away with? S

Sameena Zahrullah 13:41

Sure. So I hope that they walk away with a better understanding of really the diversity of the Muslim world. You know, I think a lot of people, you know, their understanding is shaped by media and Hollywood and you know, those portrayals and obviously what's happening around the world. But sometimes, you know, we get pigeonholed into you know a certain description. And, Muslims come from every culture and every background. So in this exhibit, you're gonna see clothing, you know, from all regions of the world.

Sameena Zahrullah 14:16

And and I wanted to add, it's interesting that, you know, even though the clothing might be from South Asia or the Middle East, again, the community here in Rockford, and now I speak for really many of the communities in America, they're so diverse that, but you'll still have South Asian women wearing the Middle Eastern gown or the abaya, and you'll have Middle Eastern women wearing the more ornate like fabrics and embroidery that are common to India and Pakistan. So now, you know, the I think the unifying thread is that it's Muslim garb, but you don't have to be Indian or Pakistani to wear, you know, a Palestinian thob. So, you know, and I think people will see that when they see the clothing, that they'll see similarities in the styles.

Bridget Finn 15:02

Right. That's beautiful. I love that. Let's talk about the story times.

Sameena Zahrullah 15:09

Yeah.

Bridget Finn 15:09

There will be two story times hosted by the Muslim Woman of Rockford. One is gonna be held here at Main in our youth services department on February 21st Saturday. And the second will be at our East Branch on March 7th, that Saturday. Tell me what your what your thoughts are behind the story time.

Sameena Zahrullah 15:30

Absolutely. I think, you know, children are the are sponges, right? And they come to anything untainted. You know, they view things through a lens of just openness, you know, open minds and open hearts. So we wanted to teach the children about some of the fundamental underlying themes of Ramadan, which are kindness and generosity and gratitude. And, you know, there's wonderful books out there. And and I want to add that this, you know, these story times are open to all children.

Sameena Zahrullah 16:04

They're not only for Muslim children, because those themes are universal. But I think what we wanted to, you know, hopefully accomplish is that when children walk away from this, you know, they get a better understanding that those their Muslim classmates or their Muslim are not that different. And they understand the commonality of you know kindness and gratitude and being a good neighbor. And, you know, that they don't have any fear or you know, any idea of like, you know, that it's foreign or strange to them. So hopefully, you know, they walk away with that understanding.

Bridget Finn 16:36

Yeah, I love the idea of it, and I love how welcoming you are, you and the Muslim Women of Rockford are, by just inviting everybody to come and experience Ramadan, you know, and learn about it.

Sameena Zahrullah 16:49

Yeah.

Bridget Finn 16:50

I think it's amazing. Do you do are you is your group choosing all the titles?

Sameena Zahrullah 16:56

Yeah, so I know two of the women who are gonna be handling the story times, they have a list of books, and I think they'll speak to the librarians and you know decide what's appropriate.

Bridget Finn 17:07

Yeah, yeah.

Sameena Zahrullah 17:09

And it's nice that, you know, when I was growing up, I grew up in the 80s, and books, you know, for children and stuff at this level were very limited, right? It was what you might find back home, but you know, you didn't find it for you know American audiences. And now it's completely different. I mean, there's so many children's books and young adult novels, and so we have a wide selection to choose from.

Bridget Finn 17:29

Oh, that's wonderful. Yeah, it's really gonna be great. I'm thrilled. So it as far as the storytime for the children who, again, you know, whether they're Muslim or they're American, you're hoping they walk away like feeling a connection between the Muslim community and the values.

Sameena Zahrullah 17:50

Exactly. That's exactly it. Right. And, you know, and yes, I mean that would be a great lesson for them to learn. It's very deep. But even just, you know, just reinforcing what I think children fundamentally feel. You know, they're kind at heart and they have empathy, and we just want to reinforce that. So the yeah, the books, you know, are likely, I don't want to speak because I'm not exactly sure, but the books are gonna be about, you know, being a good friend or you know, you know, helping people, you know, those themes.

Bridget Finn 18:18

So generosity. That's wonderful. And I know that I spoke to two of the ladies about, you know, we have a storytime training, and so everyone is, you know, they'll get their titles straight. It'll be a wonderful, wonderful experience. You can find out more about that by going to our events calendar at rockfordpubliclibrary.org and also watch for the event on social media. Facebook will have everything listed. We're thrilled to have you, Sameena. We're thrilled to have the exhibit again. Thank you so much. I think it's gonna be really, really well received.

Sameena Zahrullah 18:48

We're very excited. We're very excited. You know, it's a beautiful space up there on the third floor, so we're looking forward to you know getting it up on the walls and hopefully people appreciate it.

Bridget Finn 18:58

Absolutely. Okay, looking forward to it, thanks again.

Sameena Zahrullah 19:01

Thank you so much, Bridget. I appreciate it. I appreciate it.