Zafanya has been volunteering for Palestine for a long time through Plant een Olijfboom (Plant an Olive Tree). This month, she's participating in Ramadan, even though she's not Muslim. We asked her what motivates her to participate.
Why are you participating in Ramadan?
This year, I am taking part in Ramadan fully for the second time. I do this in solidarity with the Palestinian people. For me, Ramadan is a month of pausing, reflecting, and connecting with the steadfastness (sumud), resilience, and sense of togetherness that I witness time and again in people who, under the most inhumane circumstances, continue to hold on to one another, to their faith, and to their humanity.
I’m also asked by family, friends, and colleagues why I am participating, and that question often opens up meaningful conversations about what is happening in Palestine.
The first Ramadan that Zafanya fasted for a day was in 2024 while participating in a protest march.
How many times have you participated?
The first time I participated in Ramadan was in 2024. I had just returned from a long trip while Ramadan was already underway, and I decided to join for a single day. That day, I walked in a protest march for Palestine and spoke with Muslims who were fasting.
At first, it felt a bit uncomfortable to join as a non‑believer - as if I was stepping into something that wasn’t “mine.” But the warmth, kindness, and encouragement I received that day, as well as from a close friend and colleague, made me decide: next year I will fully participate.
In the end, it’s about doing something from a good heart, from compassion and shared humanity. It’s not about taking something that isn’t mine - it’s about standing beside others, listening, and feeling with them.
How were the first days?
The first days are always an adjustment. So many things I do automatically - grabbing the glass of water on my bedside table, tasting the food while cooking - are suddenly not allowed during fasting hours. Most days, not drinking water is harder for me than not eating. Sometimes I oversleep and end up not eating or drinking until the evening.
Fortunately, Ramadan now falls during the winter months, which makes suhoor (the meal before sunrise) and iftar (the meal after sunset) more manageable.
During suhoor or iftar, I often think about the contrast: I am sitting warm in my home, at a set table, with more than enough food and water, while Palestinians in Gaza sit among the ruins of their homes at improvised tables with the little food they managed to gather.
In those moments, it breaks my heart to see how Palestinians - whose lives have been shattered, whose families have been torn apart, who are living in hunger because of Israel’s blockade - still fast during a month that is sacred to them.
Alongside sadness, I also feel hope when I witness Palestinian resilience - how they continue to create spaces to pray, to eat, and to simply be together despite everything.
Last year, during a Rights Forum lecture, Francesca Albanese quoted the words: “Hope is a discipline.”
Hope is something you practice daily. That is something I intend to do this month. I also plan to read more, spend less time on social media, and use this time to reflect and appreciate all I am grateful for.
What is your wish for Palestine?
My wish is that this will be the year in which Palestine is finally freed.
It struck me last week how special it is that Ramadan, Christian Lent, and Chinese New Year all fall within the same week this year - all periods of reflection, hope, and new beginnings. This Chinese New Year marks the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing change, movement, and freedom. This aligns beautifully with my hope that Palestine will be liberated, and that people of different religions and beliefs can once again live alongside one another, as they have done throughout history.
What lessons you learned would you like to share with others?
Do everything you do from a good heart.
Be kind to one another.
Pause to appreciate what you have, and be grateful - even for the difficult moments, because those are the ones we learn from.
For me, that is the essence of this month, and the reason I participate.
TREES of Love, Hope and Sumud
During this Ramadan, I also want to do something tangible. That’s why I am sponsoring an olive grove through Plant een Olijfboom. If you would like to join the “Grove of Love, Hope and Sumud,” you can do so via [link].
Every tree helps Palestinian families protect their land, their roots, and their future.