Fasting as Resistance: A Spiritual Stand Against Genocide and Colonial Violence
We are living through a genocide.
What’s happening in Gaza right now is not a tragedy, nor is it a "conflict." It is intentional starvation. It is settler-colonial violence unfolding in real time. It is the latest chapter in over 75 years of apartheid, land theft, and ethnic cleansing carried out by the Zionist state.
And yet—in the face of this brutality—the world looks away. News cycles shift. Leaders stay silent. Algorithms numb us. The normalization of oppression attempts to desensitize our hearts. But we, as Muslims and as people of conscience, cannot afford to be numb.
How Do We Stay Awake?
How do we respond in a way that centers not just our outrage, but also our deen, our history, and our collective power? How do we transform grief into disciplined action that sustains us spiritually while confronting injustice materially?
Our Proposal: Fasting as Spiritual Resistance
Starting Monday, July 28, we invite our community to fast together every Monday and Thursday—following the beautiful Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ—as an intentional, collective act of spiritual resistance and remembrance.
This is not just about personal piety. This is about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Palestinian kin, reclaiming our faith as a source of liberation, and refusing to separate worship from struggle. In this context, fasting becomes more than an individual act—it becomes a decolonial practice and a refusal to spiritually dissociate from the suffering of our Ummah.
Why We Fast Together
We fast to grieve.
We fast to remember.
We fast to resist the normalization of genocide.
We fast to stay spiritually grounded in the face of empire.
We fast because our worship is not neutral—it is a weapon against despair.
Mainstream narratives attempt to erase Palestinian life and dehumanize our siblings in Gaza. In response, we choose to honor them, connecting our bodies, our time, and our breath to theirs. Our fast says: We see you. We will not look away. We will not spiritually dissociate.
When
Every Monday and Thursday, starting Monday, July 28.
We fast in line with the Sunnah—and explicitly in opposition to empire.
How It Works
This space is open to everyone—Muslims and non-Muslims who want to stand in intentional, embodied solidarity.
Fasting isn’t about perfection. If you cannot do a full fast, join in whatever way is possible: skip a meal, fast partially, or simply reflect with us in prayer and intention.
What to Expect:
Night Before (Sunday & Wednesday): Receive a short intention or reflection rooted in liberation theology and decolonial Islamic tradition.
Sahur Check-In: A brief message in our WhatsApp group anchoring the day in remembrance and intention.
During the Fast: Share du’as, poetry, reflections, and resources. We will hold space for grief, grounding, and collective support.
Breaking the Fast: Whether alone or in community, know this—you are not fasting alone.
No pressure. No guilt. No ego. Just presence.
More Than Symbolic
In a world that attempts to erase us, fasting is a radical reclaiming of our bodies, our rhythms, and our sacred resistance. Colonialism taught us to separate politics from prayer. Islam teaches otherwise: from Bilal’s voice in the face of torture, to the Prophet’s ﷺ resistance in Mecca, to Palestinian mothers who cry “Allahu Akbar” under rubble—faith has always been resistance.
We do not fast to escape reality. We fast to meet it with divine strength.
Who We Are
This initiative is hosted by Ummah International—a growing network of Muslim professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs building lives rooted in deen, liberation, and community.
We believe the Ummah is not a metaphor—it is a living body. And when one part of the body hurts, the entire body must respond.
Join the Movement
We will coordinate this weekly fast through a WhatsApp group where we share intentions, check-ins, and space for reflection.
Register here: https://ummah.id/registration
Speak to our rep: https://wa.me/6285184789028
Visit our blog:
This is not charity. This is solidarity. This is not performance. This is prayer. This is not passive spirituality. This is resistance.
Let us fast as if the Ummah is one body—because it is.
With love, rage, and du’a,
This article was written based on original concepts and structure by Salma Izzatii (Ummah’s member). Generative AI was used to assist with elaboration, refinement, and image.