Any reader of the British press this month could be forgiven for thinking that Ramadan is simply a fast, and a particularly gruelling month-long fast at that. Admittedly, this year sees the longest UK Ramadan in more than 30 years – it’s fallen late and coincides with the summer solstice, so the days are longer.
One day of fasting during daylight hours in the UK this year can last up to 19 hours.
Elsewhere in the northern hemisphere, fasting can last 20 hours - in the uppermost northern countries such as Finland and Iceland, with moderate summer climes. In the Middle East, fasting can last as few as 16 hours, but daily temperatures in the range of 35-40 degrees make those hours harder for observers in Oman or Saudi Arabia, for example. The UK is by no means the most difficult place to be a Muslim this summer. And yet, articles have shot out in abundance to stress the hardship of Ramadan in the UK this year, describing it as ‘difficult’ and ‘challenging,’, stressing its abnormally long duration. The Guardian has even set up its own interactive page for Muslims to report how longer fasting will affect them.
It’s great that Ramadan is big news, because of course it is big news. There are nearly 3 million Muslims living in the UK. Ramadan featuring more prominently in the press is a refreshing reminder of the UK’s shifting demographics and our willingness to embrace and support other religious denominations. It is also important to educate non-Muslims on the hardships observers face in order to encourage general mindfulness and support.
User comments (4)
HOW DR TRUST HELP ME TO RESTORE MY BROKEN MARRIAGE
My Name is Renee Abbey.. I want to say thank you to Dr Trust for the good thing he has done for me,Though am not sure if this is the best forum to show my joy and happiness for what he has done for me but i can't hide my happiness and my Joy so i have to share it with people, my marriage got crashed about two years ago and i tried all i could within my power but to no avail. i saw post and testimonial about the good things Dr Trust has been doing so i decided to give it a try. though he is always a busy man but when he responded back to my email, he gave me 48 hours for my marriage to be restored really just like he said my marriage was restored since then I am happy and i am living happily in my marriage. I am so grateful to Dr Trust you can always email him here: {Ultimatespellcast@gmail.com or Ultimatespellcast@yahoo.com} Call +2348156885231 or text him on his web site http://ultimatespellcast8.wix.com/ultimatespellcast
It reminded me of the European story of the baker who took a woman to court because she was enjoying the smell of his bread. The judge asked the baker how much the bread was worth, then dropped the coins onto his own desk, repaying the man for the smell of bread with the sound of money.
I also knew that Muslims often break the fast with a date, to convey the sweetness of life and for a number of other reasons. I didn't have a date, so I used a raisin; the sunset explosion of sweetness from one tiny bite was quite incredible.