Richmond rebounding defender and AFL Multicultural Ambassador, Bachar Houli, celebrated both the AFL’s Multicultural Round and the start of Ramadan last week.

During Ramadan, Houli, a devout Muslim, fasts from food and water between dawn and dusk, for 30 days.

Houli, 25, has been participating in Ramadan for 15 years, and says although challenging at times, his body has adjusted to it, and he enjoys the opportunity to spend extra time with family during the holy period.

Become a 2014 Richmond member and receive the rest of 2013 free – sign up today.

“It’s a good way of testing our patience, and it’s only 12 hours during a day, but it can be very, very challenging for some,” Houli said in an interview with Channel Seven.

“We fast from dawn to dusk so that we can feel for those people who are less privileged around the world.”

Like Houli, St Kilda small forward Ahmed Saad is also a practising Muslim, and AFL Multicultural Ambassador.

The pair feels passionately about celebrating the AFL’s Multicultural Round, to educate others about the unique cultural backgrounds of people, both within the football industry and the wider community.

“Thirty per cent of our playing list comes from a multicultural background, and each has a different story to offer,” Houli said.

Visit Bachar Houli’s website to read his personal blog posts.

Click on the player above to watch the video of Bachar Houli and Ahmed Saad.