|
The hundred participants at Pleasanton's first annual Ramadan celebration got something more than a chance to mingle with employees over baba ganouj and fatoush salad. They got a chance to ask questions about Islam and its most venerated holiday.
"It was an outreach and awareness event," said Arshad Mirza, the lead organizer of the Pleasanton celebration. Mirza says he knows there are a lot of misconceptions about Islam, and that "people are curious these days." He said he was impressed that the question and answer period went on for 15 to 20 minutes.
Ramadan marks the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, their sacrifice reminding them to be thankful for all they have and to think of those less fortunate. Eid ul-Fitr is a three-day festival at the end of the month. On the first day of Eid, Muslims gather to attend a special prayer, then break the fast together. At headquarters and on the Orlando campus, Eid was celebrated on Oct. 30; Pleasanton's hosted its celebration on Nov. 6.
The Salaat Affinity Group first hosted a Ramadan event at Oracle HQ in 1999. After the events of Sept. 11, Oracle Diversity worked with the affinity group to include an educational component, which featured Oracle employees and guest speakers. "We started trying to work with Diversity to come up with an event that showcased our different culture and different aspect of Islam to the Oracle community," says Afzal Asif, who leads the group. The Ramadan celebration can also help answer questions that come up during the month, such as why Muslim co-workers are not eating during company meetings, or at lunchtime, he says.
Asif says that over 300 people attend the annual HQ event. This year's event included some gift giving and a raffle for gift certificates donated by Bon Appetite. Each year, the headquarters' group also work with a charity from Oracle's fund-matching program, which is in the spirit of Ramadan; this year the group chose the Rahima foundation, a Muslim charity that provides food, used cars, and other services for needy Bay Area families.
Mirza said he also learned a lot from the more experienced HQ crew—and even used the same MC to provide an introduction to the holiday. Both Mirza and Asif and say they are grateful to Oracle Diversity, which provided funding for the events, and helped with other critical details. First-time planner Mirza said Diversity's Kristin Jackson provided guidance on everything from paperwork to menu planning.
Helping with events like the Ramadan celebration is exactly why Diversity exists, says Jane Robertson, the director of Diversity. "Our primary goal is to create a workplace that is inclusive of all employees and to promote tolerance and respect," says Robertson. "We are pleased to partner with the Salaat affinity group, whose members and events contribute to Oracle's rich culture."
Asif says the HQ Salaat group plans to do more next year. The group will help with the company's Black History Month celebration, and hope to start volunteering with the food bank, for example.
Mirza says he hopes that Ramadan will become an annual event at Pleasanton. "We got great review," he says. "Everybody was saying, 'We would like to see you guys do it every year'—both from the Muslim and the non-Muslim attendees."
|
