Ramadan Kareem - The Holy Month..

We all new it was coming, the Holy Month of Ramadan. We were prepared for Ramadan to commence on the night of Saturday 23rd September (we had planned a football match between Australia and New Zealand for the Russell Crowe Cup and enjoy a few after match beers at the bar) However, the new moon appeared the night of Friday 22nd September. So with only 5 hours notice on Friday, the bars closed at 10pm and I start my first experience of Ramadan..

Below is some information about Ramadan...

What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and during this month, people of the Muslim faith fast from dawn to dusk every day.
The fast involves refraining from food, drink, and (for married people) sexual relations during the daylight hours.
During Ramadan, families get up early for Suhoor (a meal eaten before the dawn). After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as Iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost.

Why do Muslims fast Ramadan?
Almighty Allah favored Ramadan over all other months; he characterized it by fasting and by the revelation of the Qurán. Fasting serves many purposes, while they are hungry and thirsty; Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. It is a month of self-discipline, when everyone becomes self-conscious about their behavior and attitudes towards others. Fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

Ramadan is a time of intensive worship, reciting of the Qurán, giving charity, purifying one’s behavior, and doing good deeds.

When does Ramadan begin?
The beginning of the Islamic lunar months depends on the actual sighting of the new crescent (new moon). Thus Ramadan begins on a different day each year and moves forward. In 2006, Ramadan will start around the 23rd or 24th of September for about 29 to 30 days.

When does Ramadan end?
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid Al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast), which in 2006 occurs after 29 to 30 days of fasting.

Are Non-Muslims required to follow Ramadan practices?
Islam is a tolerant religion and respects people of all cultures, races and religions. Non-Muslims are in no way forced to follow the traditions during Ramadan. However, as a sign of respect to the host country, non-Muslims are kindly asked to refrain from consuming food, drinks, chewing gum and smoking in public during fasting hours (dawn to dusk).

Is it OK for Non-Muslims to experience Ramadan traditions?
Muslims welcome guests of all religions and cultures and encourage them to learn more about Islam. For this reason, most of the mosques all over Qatar have special Iftar (break of fast) gatherings and dinners for general public.

During work hours, can Westerners eat and drink?
Most restaurants within international hotels are open during the day for non-Muslims. Restaurants will keep curtains closed as a sign of respect to Muslim passers by. It is normal for small children to eat/drink in public during daylight, as their needs must be met.

Dress Code..
It is encouraged to wear conservative clothing during the month of Ramadan as a sign of respect. No tight clothes. Arms and legs should be covered – this applies to men and women. (No elbows and pants/skirts no higher than the shin)

Are there any changes in working/business hours?
Companies usually do have reduced working hours for their staff over Ramadan, especially for those who are fasting, but it is business as usual and the normal business hours are covered in most cases employees working different shifts in most organisations in the private sector. The start of the business day in the morning might be a little later than normal.

In DAGOC, the office working hours will be from 8:00am to 2:00pm daily except Saturdays, which is 9:00 – 2:00 pm. Fridays off.

Hours of Shops?
Not everything is closed during Ramadan. Opening and closing hours do change during the month as opposed to the other days of the year for offices and shops but are usually open for short hours in the morning, usually from 9am to 12 noon and they re-open approximately half an hour to and hour after breaking fast until as late as midnight. Parks and other public places open after the breaking of fast and remain open until late at night.

The crowd at the Diplomatic Club Tent - A brilliant night.

So how has Ramadan affected me?
Ramadan has been interesting so far, work is from 8am to 2pm and un-intentionally I am fasting as it’s difficult to eat and drink in the office. We have to take either sneak our lunch or snack into my boss’s office or make a coffee, drink a cup of water in the kitchen on our floor. It has proven to be difficult as I normally drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day and it’s hard to find the time to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water, so it’s tended to be less of an occurrence.

After a few days, I had managed to deal with it; it’s funny to carry your food or water in a bag - hidden away from all eyes. The hardest thing I have found is not drinking water especially when presenting a training session... I feel sorry for the Muslims in the training as around 1.30pm they are so dehydrated that they start to fall asleep, yes that’s right fall asleep in the presentation....

By 2pm each day, not one Muslim is in the office, they either go straight home to sleep or start preparing for the Iftar (break after the fast). To break a fast, Muslims eat fresh dates or a sweet drink to regain their energy. Around 8pm, after the last prayer for the day, the evening meal is very social and is called Sofour. My Muslim friends really enjoy Ramadan and enjoy the social aspect of the month. Affection is not shown in public of which I have been caught a few times where I go to kiss a friend (male) on the cheek.

It’s very interesting to learn from my friends what their routines are. My friend Ehsan wakes at 3am, prayers and eats, if she has a coffee she then can’t sleep. Works at 7am till 2pm. When at home, looks after her 2 year old daughter and starts to prepare for the evening meal for her and her husband. Such a different concept to how we live. No wonder, energy levels are so low in the office.

After the first week of Ramadan, I enjoyed a night at the Diplomatic Club Tent with Noora and her husband, Ehsan and her husband and a number of friends. Meeting at 8.30pm, I was quiet hungry only for Noora and friends not to arrive till after 9pm. The tent was decorated in amazing décor, with mini gazebo like areas, colourful materials, a band and the majority of people were all Qatari’s or Arab – it was a pleasant evening. We sat, talked, ate till an amazing 1.30am in the morning. Such an amazing night, I was also meant to head to a party but it was too much like separate worlds.

I have to laugh at one moment, when I found myself SNEAKING a banana in my car at 3.30pm in the supermarket car park. As you can not been seen eating or drinking at all, not in the car or restaurants. There are even religious police of which a friend of mine was caught last year as he was taking a sip from a juice in his car 15 mins prior to sunset.... The Five star hotels all have restaurants curtained so that no-one can see in during day light hours. Religion and prayers are more predominant, so at 5.30 the second last prayer times of the day and just before sunset the roads are quiet its bliss!!

I don’t agree with the fasting, as it can have severe problems with your metabolism plus we are in the desert – it’s hot and we can’t publicly drink water. Anyways, one thing I do like about Ramadan is the Soufour, the nightly dinners, the diplomatic club was my favourite and last week I enjoyed sofour at the Ritz Carlton which was amazing.

So 2 more weeks to go, oh and one more thing, there is no sale of alcohol either at the distribution centre or bars/pubs of alcohol – it’s a completely dry country except in the privacy of your own home…

Noora and Katarina

Ehsan and I at the Diplomatic Club Tent.

My Ramadan Fast... 9th October

The Fastathon is a program in which non-muslims get a chance to experience the spirit of Ramadhaan. This Spirit rests upon fasting and charity. Both of which are the focus of the Fastathon. Fasting teaches one self restraint and charity teaches one to look out for others, especially those in need.

Money raised through the fastathon will be going to Darfur, Sudan. Darfur is a region in western Sudan that has experienced and is experiencing the worst human nature has to offer. Plagued by genocide, ravaged by war and deflowered by famine Darfur has proven to be one of the toughest, if not the toughest, humanitarian crisis of our times.

My Day:

Woke at 3.30am for toast and cup of water and very quickly back to bed. The day has surprisingly been fine as lucky for me it was a day without any meetings so I could reduce the amount of conversations I had. As I have un-intentionally fasted due to the work environment, it has been fine. Now its 2pm, I am little hazy, alittle thirsty and looking forward to Iftar at 5.17pm. I am going to the college who organised this with 2 other friends that I managed to participate with me (all the others I have asked to donate...) Anyway a Doctor of Islam is presenting at 4pm and then Iftar (break of the fast) is at 5.17...

http://www.fast-a-thon.qataries.net/

The college was a great night, a muslim spoke to us about the meaning of fasting, Ramadan and Islam. It was very informative and now I can understand what the purpose of fasting is. Before today, I just thought they were mad not eating or drinking during the day in the desert. Fasting is all about self control and remembering the hunger of those less fortunate.

The six levels of fasting are:

• Cultural. People that just give up food and drink during the sunlight hours. Fasting due to society.
• Sofour. The meal before the fast is light, a few dates and not a 3-course meal so that you do not feel hungry for the day.
• Tempations. To hold back from any tempations, no sexual acts.
• Self control in behaviour and speach. As the body is in an un-nerving state, to have self control on ones behaviour.
• Socialogical. Not attached to material things.
• Spiritual wellbeing. To be connected to the higher being. Spiritual Intention, Spiritual Growth.

At the college, we all broke the fast together. Firstly a young student sang, then we ate our dates and sipped our water (its nearly the best water I have ever had), then the muslims prayed. Afterwards it was time for the meal.

An enjoyable evening and am learning so much of Ramadan and Islam. The media portrays such a different picture which originates from America!!

The night finished by 8pm and to be honest I was now tired and ready for bed...

Day 2.

To really experience the fasting, I gave it a 2nd day. It cant hurt, these people are doing it for one month. So, no eating and drinking again, even woke at 3.30am to eat toast. Speaking to Sultan our HR Director, he was very pleased to hear that I was trying the fast that he arranged his driver to bring around me a Ramadan dinner. Sultan had arranged for a bowl of dates, soup, 2 traditional Arabic Ramadan dinners and desert. I was overwhelmed and its just so generous of him.