I remember sitting on a carpet which lay on top of the dirt floor of a large tent in an unregistered camp on the outskirts of Karachi in the early 1980s. As we were guests of the locals and were providing some aid for their desperate situations, they had invited us to stay and join them for iftar dinner.
As soon as the muezzin finished performing the call to prayer, they began putting into their mouths vast heaps of lamb pieces and boiled rice soaked in melted butter and drank water. I’d never seen so many plates or such large piles of rice before. I realized that I was among the more prominent of the community who could have a meat dish. Many of thousands in the camp that night would not. Appreciating the honor to be invited to join them for iftar, I had accepted. Mostly men sat around me, plunging their hands into meat and soaked rice. The women were busy refilling the serving plates and looking after every one. They would eat later in the next room. Nobody had any cutlery. They urged me and my colleagues to eat more but we had not been fasting all day so not much was required.
It saddens me to think that ever since the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan in the early 1980s millions of Afghans have never returned to their homeland. Apparently the number of refugees has increased considerably since then. According to a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as reported in Pakistan’s daily newspaper DAWN (Feb. 10, 2009), Sindh is home to some 50,000 Afghan refugees. Although the Soviets have come and gone, the situation remains ominous.
The number of Muslims who will be fasting during Ramadan around the world is mind boggling. It is estimated that more than a billion Muslims around the world, including some 8 million in North America, will keep the fast.
Just in case you are not sure what Ramadan means, it is known by Muslims as a “month of blessing” marked by prayer, fasting and charity. From what my Muslim friends tell me, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to God. Muslims who are better off will remember others less fortunate -- like those Afghans I mentioned earlier.
To help any newcomers in understanding the spiritual climate and how the land lies for the next few months, let me explore three main questions and attempt to briefly answer them. There’ll be one diversion which will help some Westerners understand the lunar calendar too.
The first question is: When is Ramadan 2010? You can Google this question and the answer that pops up informs you that Ramadan is expected to begin on or around Aug. 11, finishing around Sept. 8.
The month of Ramadan is considered the greatest religious observance in Islam. In short, Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. Non-Muslims often do not realize just exactly what this means: You may not eat or drink anything, including water, while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the five pillars, or duties, of a good Muslim. This practice starts around age 12. Fasting serves many purposes, for example, while they are hungry and thirsty, people are reminded of the suffering of the poor.
You probably noticed that an exact date or time was not given. That’s because the exact dates of Islamic holidays cannot be determined in advance, due to the nature of the Islamic lunar calendar. Estimated time is based on expected visibility of the hilal (waxing crescent moon following a new moon) and varies according to location.
If you have not been in Turkey during Ramadan before let me just say that it depends on where you are as the spiritual climate varies some, but for the most part, the majority of restaurants are either closed or not busy during daylight hours. People who are eating out or having a hot or cold drink during the day will be more discreet.
Be prepared for some noise in your building in the early morning hours as Muslim families get up early for suhur, a meal eaten before the sun rises. Don’t be alarmed in the evening by the number of shoes on the doorstep of your neighbors’ homes. It is a time for company and they begin iftar after the sun sets. The iftar meal usually begins with dates and sweet drinks. In the Afghan camps there were no dates and sweet drinks and no desserts -- just the main dish. (To be continued)
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
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