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As Ramadan approaches, Ogilvy Noor’s John Goodman (Regional Director of Ogilvy & Mather South and South East Asia) blogs about creativity in getting to know what drives Muslims and their diversity…

Ramadan is a time for community and togetherness. It’s about building links and re-establishing bonds around the shared values of Islam. But equally it is about celebrating the diversity of Muslims. As we approach this month (broadly in line with August) I thought it might be interesting for you to visit a website from the USA documenting the journey of 2 young Muslims as they crossed America from East to West stopping at a different mosque each day during Ramadan 2010: 30 Mosques 30 States 30 Days.

Each day during Ramadan, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq will visit a different state and blog about the experience each night, highlighting stories about the people they’ve met, the mosque they prayed in and of course the tasty cuisines each place has to offer.

I was astounded by the warm portrayal of the communities they met and the amazingly heterodox nature of Islam in America. It is deeply relevant in helping to understand how a community portrayed in just one country, can be so diverse and yet also so united. Deep insight is very important, and understanding what drives the balance of the diversity and unity is crucial for anyone who wants to be able to speak from the heart to Muslims.

What really stands out here is the creativity in finding ways to get to know Muslims. And acknowledging that understanding their context, drivers and communities can offer the best insights as to who they really are.