Despite being far away from their homes and missing their respective families, overseas Muslim students celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri with the same joy and sense of belonging back home.

On the mornings of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Indonesian student Ms Ariza Ayumardani would follow a certain routine.

Usually, after the morning Aidilfitri prayers, the 18-year-old will make her way to her grandmother’s place in Solo, Central Java to meet all her relatives – soaking in the celebratory atmosphere and the warmth of family.

However, Wednesday morning was different.

This was her first time celebrating Hari Raya in a foreign land without her family. Speaking in a blend of malay and english, the last night of Ramadan was an emotional moment for her as she misses her family.

“When I called my mother in the morning, I just cried,” said the first-year student from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. “My mother told me to be strong.”

Muslim Singaporeans celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their family and friends to mark the end of the month of Ramadan on Wednesday. But for overseas NTU Muslim students like Ms Ariza, they had to make do with celebrating this special day in campus.

Sharing her sentiments of missing the gathering of family and friends include Iranian student Ms Bahareh Haji Rasouliha. Yesterday would be her second time celebrating Aidilfitri, or Eyd-e-Fetr as she would call it, in Singapore.

“In Iran, celebrations for Islamic holidays … is always a gathering with family and friends,” said Ms Bahareh, a masters student studying in the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

The second-year masters student from the city of Isfahan misses sweet snacks such as Zulbia Bamie, a fluffy and sweet snack made of sugar, starch and Safran.

Like Ms Bahareh, Mr Nu’man Phettongkam, a fourth-year Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering major, also talked about food in his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand. Though he enjoys the local fare such as ketupat (rice wrapped in coconut leaves) and rendang (beef slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices), the 22-year-old speaks fondly of the dishes back home such as Khao Ma-Kher Ted (tomato rice).

Meanwhile, another Indonesian Muslim student, Mr Arif Fahla Hermawan made his way yesterday to the Indonesian Embassy with his compatriots in NTU to celebrate Hari Raya – also known as Lebaran - to them.

The second-year Material Science and Engineering student felt excited to celebrate Hari Raya at the embassy as it is like being back in Indonesia. For him, the best part of Lebaran was seeking forgiveness from his family and relatives — starting from the older generation first, and even to the children.

Mr Arif, who is also a member of NTU’s Muslim Society, then returned to campus to prepare for an informal dinner gathering of overseas Muslims students in campus. Located at the Student Activities Centre, a spread of pasta and satay were served for Muslim students – who came from countries like Pakistan, India and Azerbaijan. This is an opportunity for them to mingle and bond.

“This event gives a chance for overseas Muslims, who don’t have their families here, to come together and celebrate as a family,” said Mr Mohamed Arshath, a second-year student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering who was also one of the main organisers.

After the congregational prayer, many were seen to be smiling and laughing away over dinner – reminiscing on their celebrations back home and even taking photographs with one another.

“It feels good to have some interaction with the overseas Muslim students,” said Mr Azar Eyvazov, a Physics and Applied Physics major from the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences. The 19-year-old from Azerbaijan also felt a sense of belonging with students from that gathering.

Meanwhile, Ms Ariza, after helping with dinner, was seen sitting and chatting with her other female Muslim friends. They talked about the spread of delicious food back home and the songs they would listen to until the end of the event.

Though she feels fortunate to have celebrated Hari Raya with other foreign Muslim students, she finds it not enough and fulfiling. “Something is missing from this Hari Raya.”

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