Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam and it’s observed each year by more than 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, including Australia. Ramadan is about self-control and goes beyond refraining from eating and drinking from dawn till dusk.
SBS Arabic24 invited Danny Teece-Johnson to get a taste of Ramadan, and to closely observe how it’s celebrated by Australian Muslims.
His first stop was to visit Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's western suburbs, the largest mosque in Australia, where he met with the Imam, Sheikh Yahya Safi, to get an insight into why Muslims fast during the month.
“The hardest challenge for the human is to control himself. Ramadan is an opportunity for all Muslims to control themselves, and to become pious and righteous,” Sheikh Safi said.
Danny and Fares chat with the Imam of Lakemba mosque Sheikh Yahya Safi. Source: SBS Arabic24
After meeting the Imam, we took to the streets of Lakemba to attend the Ramadan Nights festival, which was a perfect opportunity for Danny to engage with Muslims on the streets. He asked people about the best practices to last a whole day without food or drink.
“Islam is a religion of love and peace, and my time in Lakemba showed me what a beautiful culture and people they really are,” Danny said. 
Danny said the opportunity he got to interact with Muslims made him realise that the religion is nothing like it's depicted in various media outlets.
Danny taking tips on fasting from Lakemba residents. Source: SBS Arabic24
By sunset, we broke our fast with a Muslim family. It was a full house with over 50 family members, a rare opportunity for Danny to compare the Arabic culture to his own. Family gatherings are the same across all cultures obviously; Good food and loads of laughs.
We are very similar, especially our family structures and how we look after the children and elders.
Danny and Fares chat with Ziad and Lina's family after Iftar. Source: SBS Arabic24
Lessons learnt while fasting for one day
The first lesson Danny learnt about the Muslim community in Australia, is how diverse and multicultural it is. Muslims of Australia come from different countries and have different cultures, languages and races.
Walking and talking on the streets of Lakemba really opened my eyes. It’s like being in another world.
Having gone through the experience successfully aka not eating or drinking, the second lesson learnt was to feel with others and those who are deprived the basic needs. Being an Aboriginal man, Danny saw the similarity between the two cultures, and formed a strong bond with his "Muslim brothers and sisters".
The words of the Imam echoed in Danny’s ears throughout the whole experience, he realised the real meaning under the surface. “Ramadan is about sacrifice and remembering how lucky we are to have what we have, whilst remembering those less fortunate than us,” he said.
Danny found the experience quite enlightening and eye-opening. The closeness he felt to Muslim culture, prompted him to extend an invitation to all Australians, if not to experience fasting, at least to visit a mosque in an attempt to break stereotypes and opt for true harmony and understanding among the different elements of the community.
Next year I’d love to do it for a week, just because I think it would be great for my human spirit.
Watch how Danny's experience went in the video below:
