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Zaheera's
parents are of Indian origin - her mother was born in the Midlands
and her father in Burma.
Now 22, Zaheera grew up in Gloucester and after attending Denmark
Road School for Girls she is studying for an MA in management of
human resources and works part-time as a youth worker.
A
Sunni Muslim, she worships at home. Unlike bigger mosques including
the Regent's Park Mosque in London, Gloucester's two mosques do
not have facilities for women, but Zaheera does not mind. She says:
"The Koran says it is better for women to worship in the comfort
of their homes."
Here
she explains more about her life and faith.
"I
have lived in Gloucester all of my life, and to tell you the truth,
I'm very happy here. Although there could be more facilities for
the youth, and improvement in some local areas, the county is amazing
and I feel lucky for having Gloucestershire as my home.
Non-Muslims
often question me as to why I fast during Ramadan - 'Go into
the corner and have something to eat, I won't tell anybody...'
I explain it strengthens my will power and gives me a great
sense of achievement.
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| Zaheera
Nanabawa |
"During
my time at university in London, I missed Gloucester dearly, and
greatly appreciated the brilliant people, the scenic views and the
peace and quiet.
"I
can see the potential of Gloucestershire expanding in the next few
years and it is well deserved, although as a youngster the only worry
I have is of the house prices rising!
"Living
in Gloucestershire has provided me with an excellent education,
which has opened avenues to me I would never have imagined.
"I
am a practising Muslim and try hard to incorporate Islamic values
into my life. This
entails praying five times a day, fasting in the month of Ramadan,
donating money to charity and making the pilgrimage to Makkah in
Saudi Arabia once in a lifetime if one can financially do so.
»Zaheera
talks about her life and faith in more detail
"In
Gloucestershire, as Muslims, we are still quite unusual. Many people
are interested in the way we go about our daily lives and the consistent
attention given to Islam in the media these days is enlightening
minds and many people are embracing the Islamic way of life.
"Ramadan
is enjoyable to say the least. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
"Non-Muslims
often question me as to why I fast - 'Go into the corner and have
something to eat, I won't tell anybody...'
When
Ramadan moves up to summer the days will be longer and hotter
with only a short space of darkness - that's when the willpower
will definitely come in handy!
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| Zaheera
Nanabawa |
"I
explain it strengthens my will power and gives me a great sense
of achievement.
"The
Islamic year is based on the lunar calendar, which differs by around
ten days from the Gregorian calendar. So
if Ramadan starts this year on October 27, next year it will start
around the October 17, and the year after October 7 and so on.
"The
calendar can be predicted but relies on the sighting of the moon
to continue into the next month.
"At
least for the moment the days are short, and the evenings come early.
"When
Ramadan moves up to summer the days will be longer and hotter with
only a short space of darkness - that's when the willpower will
definitely come in handy!"
Zaheera
Nanabawa
»Zaheera
talks about her life and faith in more detail
This
article is user-generated content (ie external contribution) expressing
a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire. If you
would like to comment on this or any other story in this section
get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
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