Feed Back, Muslim Representation and Suggestions

Dear to whom it may concern,

I don’t know if this is possible but I would love to see Muslims represented in the sims 4 holiday pack. If it’s not possible then hopefully maybe for Sims 5. I have some ideas of how we could be properly represented. 

In Islam, Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr ( Eid is just the end of Ramadan ) are our biggest holiday of the year and people often decorate for Eid. Maybe a star and moon decoration, it’s the symbol of the ottoman empire, which is usually attributed to us but isn’t actually a part of Islam. Some hanging lights / lanterns or a bowl of dates ( Muslims all over the world eat dates every day in Ramadan. It is what we begin and end our fast with, most Muslims only eat dates during Ramadan, so dates are heavily associated with Ramadan for us ) and who could be offended by a bowl or box of dates?

I would love for there to be a prayer mat of some kind in the game. Or maybe a rug that could pass for a prayer mat. The prayer mat could even be rolled up or folded up, we don’t leave them laying around all the time. Maybe a fancier Hijab or modest clothes, we are supposed to wear nice new clothes on Eid. I would love a sparkly Eid outfit in the sims! Everyone tries to look their very best on Eid. Arabic Calligraphy and sacred geometry is also something that could be used to represent us. 

  you guys could make a holiday decoration sign that said a version of “Eid Mubarak!” ( it means Happy Eid or Blessed Eid! ) I would literally ugly cry with joy. I cannot express to you how much that would mean to me and the Muslim simmers community. I know you guys aren’t allowed to say the exact words, Eid in Arabic means “feast, festival, holiday.” ( we do feast on Eid! ) Oh my gosh if the sims could eat Samosas! That would be amazing!! People often eat Samosas during Ramadan and Eid. We often eat seated on the floor for large gatherings with the food in the middle, on a large carpet with pillows for seats. Sort of like the Kiasu table in Snowy Escape but without the table. So maybe it could be something like that. Most likely Eid willbegin on May 12th 2021 this year. 

We go by the lunar calendar. Maybe there could be an Islamic lunar calendar? We say Ramadan Mubarak ( Blessed Ramadan ) or Ramadan Kareem ( Gorgeous Ramadan ). “The word 'Ramadan' is derived from the Arabic root r-m-d or 'ramad', which means to be “intensely heated by the sun”. ... Imām Qurtubi notes that “it [this month] was named Ramaḍān because it purges the sins of people with righteous deeds.” It doesn’t translate as well. Ramadan will most likely start on April 12th 2021. We also exchange gifts, give money to charity and children on Eid. Sometimes people give candies too. We say Assalamualaikum too which means ( Peace Be Upon You ). Maybe a sign with that or a version of that in the Sims? 

I really think there are a lot of ways for us to be properly represented in the Sims in a way that doesn’t offend people. Jews and Christians are already in there, we are the 3rd Abrahamic Religion. Ramadan is celebrated by 1.6 billion people. I know there are enough Muslim simmers to create Muslim CC and there are Muslim Sim youtubers. The more people see us doing regular normal things and see us represented, the less people will fear and hate us. This might sound over the top but I truly believe this. If you add more Muslims representation it could literally prevent future hate crimes against Muslims. Our actions matter and they can have an unseen ripple effect that grows into something more, for better or worse. 

Currently the country with the largest Muslim population in the world is Indonesia. “Asia constitute in absolute terms the world's Muslim population. and about 62% of the world's Muslims live in Asia, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh having the largest Muslim populations in the world.” If possible and you guys are able to add some Muslim representation then maybe this could coincide with both Eid and the Stop the Asian Hate movement. Last Ramadan my masjid gave out free sweets for us to give our neighbors as a sign of good will in the spirit of Ramadan. It was to help spread peace and understanding of Muslims. Every Action matters. 

If you read this entire thing, I sincerely thank you. Thank you for any time and effort you took to read this. 

I hope you are well in these wild times. 

Warm regards