Ramadan Kareem

As I am sitting here writing this blog the sun is begining to go down. In about 15 minutes the whole city will hear over loud speakers from the many Mosques scattered around, the signal that it is ok to break your daily fast. It is now the 6th day of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a very holy time for Muslims. During the 30 days of Ramadan Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and any sexual activities from sunrise to sunset. The 30 days of fasting are meant to build empathy and compassion for those who are forced to go without food and drink and give Muslims extra time to pray and thank Allah (God) for all their blessings. It is believed that the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad at this time of the year.

One of the interesting things about Ramadan is that the start date is determined by the moon and moves backwards about 11 days each year which means that Ramadan will be during the summer months for the next 10 years or so. It has been in the upper 90's every day here and well into the 100's in other parts of the middle east, and when it says no drinking, that is including water. There are a few things that shift during the month of Ramadan to make it a little easier on the people who choose to fast. For one, eating, drinking or smoking in public is against the law. I was told if you are caught you get thrown in jail for the remaining days of Ramadan. (I was told they are lenient on expats, which is good because I accidently ate a nut in the parking lot at Safeway the other day) Also, work ends at 3 so people can go home and rest, and there aren't a whole lot of expectations for productivity at work. After a long day of fasting comes the Iftar which is the meal that breaks the fast and is usually a large meal shared with friends, family and the community. After sundown people can eat, drink and smoke as much as they want to until sunrise.

Personally I like the concept of Ramadan. It is a time to be thankful for what you have, build compassion for those who are less fortunate and spend time with family and friends. I do question if not drinking water all day is a great idea for people who have to work outside in 115 degree weather, but who am I to say?

Kareem means generous, so Ramadan Kareem basically means "have a Generous Ramadan". This is found written all over town. One year Ramadan was near Christmas time so people started putting up lights and have continued to do so, even though it is the middle of summer now.