Ramadan

During Ramadan, halal markets in Kansas City are critical to the Islamic community’s month-long celebration and traditions. Learn how some help make Ramadan in the metro feel like home. Also, for nearly a decade, Blip Coffee Roasters has offered Kansas City bikers a place to hang out and admire motorcycles. Meet the cast of regulars at a West Bottoms coffee shop.

Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan every year by fasting from sunup to sundown, and then breaking bread with friends and family at the end of each day. Halal markets help feed believers by providing hard-to-get supplies from around the globe and offering discount prices to those who need them during the monthlong celebration.

Ramdan, which began March 10, is a sacred time for followers of Islam. But with the war in the Gaza Strip nearing its sixth month with no ceasefire in sight, some Kansas City Muslims say the holy month is different this year.

Ramadan, which began March 10, is a sacred and joyous time for followers of Islam. However, with the war in Gaza nearing its sixth month — and with no ceasefire in sight — some Kansas City Muslims say the holy month is different this year.

It's Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. The Dialogue Institute, a local nonprofit, has partnered with 33 different organizations to hold community fast-breaking dinners, called iftars.

It’s Ramadan, and Muslims around the Kansas City metro are marking the holy month with daylong fasts. Residents say there are joys and struggles to fasting in an area where many people don’t share their faith. Plus: Why some counties in the Great Plains and Midwest are losing their grocery stores.

For many Kansas City Muslims, Ramadan represents a time to reflect on the things they are thankful for through prayer and fasting. It also brings communal fast-breaking banquets and prayer sessions. Community members are able to reconnect and reinforce one another’s faith, especially where many around them do not share it.

In the absence of public events throughout the month of Ramadan, some Muslims in Kansas City have found it easier to focus on their faith and family.

The volunteer group is delivering halal meals from Kansas City restaurants for free to Muslim health care workers fasting on the front lines.

Why city's small business loans haven't materialized, behind the scenes of the NFL draft, how well distance learning is working, how Muslims are observing Ramadan during social distancing, and feeding Muslim medical personnel