Hassan Faraj: "They fast and they know how we feel ..."

Imagine the strength and
physical agility required to bring down opponents for your football
team. Now think about trying to do it without eating or drinking
all day. That’s Hassan Faraj’s challenge playing
for the Dearborn Lions during Ramadan. Journalist Raad Alawan caught up with Hassan at
Hemlock Park in Dearborn during an early September practice
when the temperature peaked at 93 degrees.
    The following is what Hassan told him — a vivid glimpse of the spiritual determination required to get through a challenge like afternoon football practice:

It gets harder by
the year because you’re getting older.
    It gets harder on your
body. I’m sweating a lot; I lose my mind. I don’t pay
attention that well. It feels weird.
    I always want to reach
for water, to at least rinse out my mouth. But I can’t because
I fear God.
    Today, I got up at 4:30. I ate a little,
drank a little, and then went back to sleep. I woke up at seven
and went to school, and then here to practice.
    No water, no food. I’m tired and drowsy.
    The coaches don’t really give us breaks.
But they’re doing the same thing we do. They fast and know how
we feel.
    The best part of the day is
when I eat. Usually, I eat salad, chicken, and drink a lot of
water. I eat again, and then go back to sleep.

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