Ramadan

Ramadan was called after the 'sighting of the moon' on the 1st of September this year. I couldn't see the moon at all until today, and I'm still not exactly sure why that is.

Ramadan is the month in which Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset. Working hours are shortenend, shops don't open until the evening and alcohol is banned completely.

The act of fasting, according to the local radio station I was listening to, is to increase awareness of those less fortunate, who don't have all the materialistic dependencies of the developed world and who spend much of their time in extreme starvation.

The radio programme was quite good actually, with an ex-pat trying to get answers to some of the common myths associated with Ramadan, such as:

1. Productivity goes down as our Muslim friends are tired from fasting.
2. Many Muslims sleep during the day to avoid the pressure of not eating.
3. The amount of food consumed after sunset is astonishing.
4. If you 'accidentally' eat a full meal during Ramadan, carry on fasting after.
5. If you cut your mouth, do not swallow any blood.
6. If you taste your cooking before sunset, spit it out.

etc.

The answers to these probing questions came in the form of excerpts from the Holy Qu'ran, designed to remind Muslims of the underlying point of Ramadan as mentioned in paragraph two.

There are three or four Muslims in my office who are fasting just now and around twenty non-muslims. As a show of respect for the culture here, we must not eat or drink in view of a Muslim, and must instead huddle into a small room with the door firmly shut in order to partake in the basic human requirement of liquid and food. Apparently, flaunting this rule can lead to a court appearance.