Embracing Veganism in Ramadan: Challenges, Joys, and Cultural Shifts

Ramadan is about the gathering of families, the subsequent feelings of warmth that comes with the sharing of a meal. But when you’re a vegan Muslim who observes Ramadan, these rituals become just slightly more complicated and the biggest hurdle is less tangible: in the Middle East and North Africa in particular, veganism is still quite taboo. Despite all this joy, challenges exist. As is common for vegans of all and no faiths, many find their families don't quite understand – despite good intentions.

Ahlam Tarayra is a cultural Muslim and the co-founder of Baladi – the Palestine Animal Rescue Team. She said last year she attended a family iftar after being invited by her uncle. When she arrived, her meat-free stuffed courgettes had been cooked together with the mince-filled ones, rendering them inedible. Another dish had no meat inside, but the outer shell had some mixed in. As an ethical project, adopting a vegan lifestyle makes you more reflective about your actions in general, according to Tarayra. This means you are more likely to think about other issues like providing single-use plastic cups and plates to guests, a concern she was not alone in raising.

Ms Jihen Mzoughi, a young Tunisian who is set to embark on her third Ramadan as a vegan, concurs. “The change was always met with concern,” she says. “My mom was worried about my health. She thought I would never have enough food to eat and that I would get too skinny.” Mzoughi's version of Tunisian brik, which uses potatoes rather than tuna, became a household staple. “They converted to it, so now I’m always in charge of making it every day,” she says.

For others, like Ahed Kayed, 22, a university nutrition student from Nablus, being vegan during a time of such great consumption is fantastic for her wellness. "The non-healthy food is not vegan, so basically, I'm away from it," she said. People feel they must buy lots of meat to share around out of a cultural standard of generosity, Kayed said, adding that much of this goes uneaten. However, she has found people don't have this belief with plant-based foods, and so less ends up disposed of.

“People laugh at you,” Ms Neslihan Değerli says. “It’s in our culture, it’s in our mentality that animals and everything that is on planet Earth is there for humans to consume, so you’re going against that idea.” While her Turkish heritage dictates a sprawling iftar made of an assortment of dishes many of which include meat, it might be difficult to imagine turning down kofta or sujuk after a full day of fasting, but Değerli – and the growing community of Muslim vegans around the world – don’t hesitate to do exactly that.“For me, Ramadan spirit is not about what you have on the table. It’s about seeing people and being grateful. It’s all about the process and not what I consume,” Değerli says. “I am satisfied with just the smell of bread on the table or the cold glass of water I’m going to have. That’s the most precious thing to me. It’s about the excitement you get for the simplest things.” For Değerli, her family’s consumption of meat has dwindled as a result of her aversion to it. “It took probably 18 years,” she admits, but both her mother and brother have had their own stints as vegans in the process.

Mr Tarek and Ms Leila Idrissi, siblings and Paris-based chefs of La Cuisine de Souad, were also ridiculed when they made changes to their diet a few years ago. “Veganism was always a debate wherever I went,” says Tarek. “I was always mocked, especially as a man. The vision society has is that if you don’t eat meat, you won’t be a tough man. You won’t be able to fight. You won’t be able to play soccer.”However, some families can adapt to their vegan children’s diets over time – growing to love their iterations of traditional foods. “Our dad now always ends up eating all the vegan food on the table,” Leila says. “We make mlawi stuffed with kefta and another with vegetables, and he wouldn’t know the difference,” her brother adds.

At a time when many fear for the future of the planet, a vegan Ramadan may, therefore, seem attractive, even though it isn't always easy. From the outside looking in, these experiences may sound isolating, but for a number of Muslim vegans, it has pushed them forward, and provided a lesson in simple joys and compromise