'I'm excited to spend time with my family;' For the first time, Eid is a school holiday in some Minnesota districts
Seniors Nuziabah Said (front row, left) and Maryama Ahmed (front row, second from left) say Hopkins High School's Muslim Student Association has connected them with Muslim students in other grades.
Courtesy of Muslim Student Association advisor Jennifer Heimlich
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This weekend is Eid Al Fitr, a three-day festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
For the first time, students in Hopkins, Moorhead, Mankato and Minneapolis will get a day off from school to celebrate.
Nuziabah Said and Maryama Ahmed are co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association at Hopkins High School.
They talked with host Cathy Wurzer about their plans for Eid and their hopes for future Muslim students at their high school.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
INTERVIEWER: This weekend is Eid al-Fitr a three-day festival that marks the end of Ramadan. For the first time, students in Hopkins, Moorhead, Mankato, and Minneapolis will get a day off from school to celebrate. Nuziabah Said and Maryama Ahmed are co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association at Hopkins High School. They're on the line right now. Welcome to both of you.
MARYAMA AHMED: Hi, nice to meet you.
INTERVIEWER: Nice to meet you too.
NUZIABAH SAID: Hi.
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm Mary.
INTERVIEWER: Hi. Hi, Maryama. And is Nuziabah with us too?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: Hi. Thank you. Maryama, in the past, I know you've had to take off school for Eid al-Fitr, right? Can you tell us how excited you are to now have this as an actual holiday, a day off of school?
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm really excited to have Eid off this year at school. Previous years, I would have to not go to school that day. And I would have to connect with teachers the day before and let them know, I'm not coming to school today. Is there anything I should work on?
And I would have to miss school and be behind on my academics and stuff on Eid. And I would worry about that a bit. So I'm really glad this year that I don't really have to worry about school, and I can focus on celebrating Eid.
INTERVIEWER: Nuzaibah, I understand that the Hopkins Student Council led this push to add Muslim holidays to the school calendar and Jewish holidays too. So can you explain a little bit more about that?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah, I do know the two Student Council presidents really worked hard last year on making sure that all religion holidays were included. And that was taken into effect this year.
INTERVIEWER: So this is long overdue.
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah.
MARYAMA AHMED: It is, yeah.
INTERVIEWER: So I'm wondering, Nuziabah, what are you looking forward to this weekend as you celebrate Eid?
NUZIABAH SAID: I usually just hang out with my family. We do find secluded places to hang out, play family games, and connect with each other.
INTERVIEWER: And Maryama?
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm excited to spend time with my family and my cousins this Eid year.
INTERVIEWER: Is there anything you've both been reflecting on during Ramadan this year, Nuziabah?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah, I do really appreciate like having MSA this year, just because like I was able to connect with my Muslim peers way more. And I do feel comfortable going to them about anything.
INTERVIEWER: And Maryama?
MARYAMA AHMED: This Ramadan, I would say I grew a lot. I feel a lot stronger to my religion. And I learned a lot about my religion this Ramadan. And the Muslim students at my school helped me learn a lot about Islam.
INTERVIEWER: Now I understand you both are graduating this year, right?
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: Congratulations. And your leaders in the Muslim Student Association. I'm wondering about your hopes, your dreams for other Muslim students who come after you. Maryama, I'll start with you.
MARYAMA AHMED: I really hope that for this year, we didn't really do much for MSA. It was just like we just had meetings and stuff. So I really hope that next year, they have events in the school and have fun in MSA and stuff.
INTERVIEWER: Nuziabah, what about you?
NUZIABAH SAID: Could you repeat the question? Sorry.
INTERVIEWER: Sure, sure, absolutely. I'm wondering, after you graduate, there are going to be students behind you. What are your hopes for Muslim students who come after you?
NUZIABAH SAID: I hope that MSA does run smoothly next year. I also do hope that we have safer spaces with the prayer room and everything. And I hope that like-- I hope they'll be run smoothly.
INTERVIEWER: I appreciate your time. And I'm sure I wish you Eid Mubarak. Would that be the correct thing to say? Eid Mubarak?
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah, that's correct.
INTERVIEWER: Excellent. Thank you for joining us. I appreciate it.
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah, thank you for having us.
INTERVIEWER: Absolutely. We've been talking to Nuzaibah Said and Maryama Ahmed. They're co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association at Hopkins High School.
MARYAMA AHMED: Hi, nice to meet you.
INTERVIEWER: Nice to meet you too.
NUZIABAH SAID: Hi.
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm Mary.
INTERVIEWER: Hi. Hi, Maryama. And is Nuziabah with us too?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: Hi. Thank you. Maryama, in the past, I know you've had to take off school for Eid al-Fitr, right? Can you tell us how excited you are to now have this as an actual holiday, a day off of school?
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm really excited to have Eid off this year at school. Previous years, I would have to not go to school that day. And I would have to connect with teachers the day before and let them know, I'm not coming to school today. Is there anything I should work on?
And I would have to miss school and be behind on my academics and stuff on Eid. And I would worry about that a bit. So I'm really glad this year that I don't really have to worry about school, and I can focus on celebrating Eid.
INTERVIEWER: Nuzaibah, I understand that the Hopkins Student Council led this push to add Muslim holidays to the school calendar and Jewish holidays too. So can you explain a little bit more about that?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah, I do know the two Student Council presidents really worked hard last year on making sure that all religion holidays were included. And that was taken into effect this year.
INTERVIEWER: So this is long overdue.
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah.
MARYAMA AHMED: It is, yeah.
INTERVIEWER: So I'm wondering, Nuziabah, what are you looking forward to this weekend as you celebrate Eid?
NUZIABAH SAID: I usually just hang out with my family. We do find secluded places to hang out, play family games, and connect with each other.
INTERVIEWER: And Maryama?
MARYAMA AHMED: I'm excited to spend time with my family and my cousins this Eid year.
INTERVIEWER: Is there anything you've both been reflecting on during Ramadan this year, Nuziabah?
NUZIABAH SAID: Yeah, I do really appreciate like having MSA this year, just because like I was able to connect with my Muslim peers way more. And I do feel comfortable going to them about anything.
INTERVIEWER: And Maryama?
MARYAMA AHMED: This Ramadan, I would say I grew a lot. I feel a lot stronger to my religion. And I learned a lot about my religion this Ramadan. And the Muslim students at my school helped me learn a lot about Islam.
INTERVIEWER: Now I understand you both are graduating this year, right?
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: Congratulations. And your leaders in the Muslim Student Association. I'm wondering about your hopes, your dreams for other Muslim students who come after you. Maryama, I'll start with you.
MARYAMA AHMED: I really hope that for this year, we didn't really do much for MSA. It was just like we just had meetings and stuff. So I really hope that next year, they have events in the school and have fun in MSA and stuff.
INTERVIEWER: Nuziabah, what about you?
NUZIABAH SAID: Could you repeat the question? Sorry.
INTERVIEWER: Sure, sure, absolutely. I'm wondering, after you graduate, there are going to be students behind you. What are your hopes for Muslim students who come after you?
NUZIABAH SAID: I hope that MSA does run smoothly next year. I also do hope that we have safer spaces with the prayer room and everything. And I hope that like-- I hope they'll be run smoothly.
INTERVIEWER: I appreciate your time. And I'm sure I wish you Eid Mubarak. Would that be the correct thing to say? Eid Mubarak?
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah, that's correct.
INTERVIEWER: Excellent. Thank you for joining us. I appreciate it.
MARYAMA AHMED: Yeah, thank you for having us.
INTERVIEWER: Absolutely. We've been talking to Nuzaibah Said and Maryama Ahmed. They're co-presidents of the Muslim Student Association at Hopkins High School.
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