Amin Asser recalls that as a child growing up in Minnesota, his Muslim faith often made him feel like an outsider, and his need to follow its practices and principles was “sometimes like a dentist’s.” It felt like passing.”
Those memories are part of what led Aser, now a married man with a 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, to create Ramadan, an online, interactive “Ramadan” for Muslim children ages 5 to 12. Camp” has been spent developing. World
Noor Kids Ramadan Camp was started two years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, nearly 90,000 families have signed up, and nearly 3,000 families join live each night.
The camp is streamed from a warehouse in Brooklyn Park designed to resemble a treehouse. Children spend between 30 minutes and an hour listening to stories, playing games, creating projects, listening to guest speakers and sharing prayers.
It’s all about finding fun ways to help kids learn and discuss the principles of their faith while meeting other Muslim kids from around the world.
Asr said Ramadan is the most important time of the year for Muslims, who fast from sunrise to sunset and focus on grooming themselves and building their faith. Busy Muslim parents who are fasting can often struggle to bring the spirit of Ramadan into their hearts and homes, she said, and the camp is designed to ease that burden.
Anam Ahmed, a mother of a 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in Toronto, said the camp has become an almost daily ritual for her family. Although Toronto has a large Muslim population, her son attends a public school with only one other Muslim child.
“For her to see other kids her age, speaking the same terms we use at home, makes a big difference,” Ahmed said. “I can see in his expression how excited he is to see that there are so many others like him around the world. It’s the first time I’ve seen a spark in his religious identity.”
The camp is a continuation of Asar’s mission since 2012 to help Muslim children embrace their faith and feel accepted, especially in areas where they are a religious minority.
He said that as a child he was so embarrassed when his friends laughed at his mother’s hijab when he played baseball that he asked her to take it off 15 minutes after the game ended. And the only other Muslims he saw were in the mosque or on television.
Anam Ahmed, a mother of a 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in Toronto, said the camp has become an almost daily ritual for her family. Although Toronto has a large Muslim population, her son attends a public school with only one other Muslim child.
“For her to see other kids her age, speaking the same terms we use at home, makes a big difference,” Ahmed said. “I can see in his expression how excited he is to see that there are so many others like him around the world. It’s the first time I’ve seen a spark in his religious identity.”
The camp is a continuation of Asar’s mission since 2012 to help Muslim children embrace their faith and feel accepted, especially in areas where they are a religious minority.
He said that as a child he was so embarrassed when his friends laughed at his mother’s hijab when he played baseball that he asked her to take it off 15 minutes after the game ended. And the only other Muslims he saw were in the mosque or on television.
Ahmed said her family has read Noor Kids books for years because they contain illustrations that convey Islamic teachings in a colorful way that appeals to children.
“Sometimes when parents try to explain difficult concepts, it can be a little preachy, so I feel like maybe I’m not doing my best job at it.” “And sometimes if (his son) hears a teaching from someone he thinks is really good, like Amin, it can have a very different effect. It’s important to hear from someone other than a parent.”
Asser said he didn’t want the holidays at the Ramadan camp to stop when it ends this week, so Noor Kids has launched the Muslim Treehouse, which will provide programs to its young audience twice a week.
“I hope that through NoorKids and our online programs, we can create a better future for children,” he said. “A child’s mind is where change begins, and if you can plant the seeds of character and citizenship, I hope it will benefit those individuals in the long run.”