Prayers for peace and reconciliation

This month, Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini is emphasizing reconciliation.

Every year during Ramadan, the annual Muslim month of fasting and prayer, the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa holds sessions of Koran interpretation for 30 nights in a row.

Al-Qazwini, the center’s imam, spotlights one chapter from the book each time. This year, he chose chapter 28, which compares the struggles of Moses to those of the prophet Muhammad.

After months of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as ongoing chaos in Iraq and Afghanistan, Al-Qazwini sought a message that would bring different faiths together.

“I found in this chapter there are many pertaining verses and passages that are very relevant to our circumstances,” he said on Friday, the day before his center planned to begin observing Ramadan.

The center, which serves Muslims in Orange and Los Angeles counties, has reached out to the community in many ways since its founding a decade ago.

During the month of Ramadan, the center has invited law enforcement agencies and local city councils to join in services. This year, with a little cosmic assistance, the festivities may be the richest yet.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, then join in communal meals and other activities after dark.

In 2005, the holiday began in October — Ramadan follows the Islamic calendar — after daylight savings time, which meant that sundown occurred shortly after most followers came home from work. As a result, the center opted to let them eat dinner with their families rather than make a long trip.

This year, however, Ramadan starts when the sun is still out until the early evening. Hence, for the first time ever, the center will host meals every night of the month, after doing them only once a week in the past.

Fatma Saleh, a board member and youth group advisor at the center, said that fasting during the day is a struggle for many Muslims but that it helps to strengthen their faith.

“Some people, if they don’t have their first cup of coffee, they go through withdrawal,” she said. “But after the first few days, the body adjusts.”