Challenging Ramadan ahead for due to long summer days

[superbeets]

Islamic holy month straddles summer equinox in northern hemisphere meaning some could be left fasting 20 hours a day.



Muslims in the northern hemisphere face the most challenging Ramadan for more than 30 years, with long summer days creating the shortest possible window for breaking their daily fast.



The Islamic holy month, which is expected to begin on Monday, straddles the summer equinox this year, meaning early dawns and late sunsets. The dates of Ramadan, which are determined by the moon, move forward by 10 or 11 days each year in a 33-year cycle.

 

[superbeets]

During Ramadan,


Muslims fast between dawn and sunset,


Abstaining from food,drink, smoking and sex.


In the depths of winter, the daily fast can be as short as eight hours, compared with more than 20 hours in some places this year.

 

[superbeets]

“We had a taste of this last year, but this year it’s even more challenging,” saidIbrahim Mogra, assistant general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain. “But this is all part and parcel of the experience, and most Muslims take it in their stride. Maybe a few more will take advantage of the exemptions available to the elderly, frail and those on medication.”

.


Pregnant and menstruating women, and children who have not hit puberty, are also exempt from fasting.



Muslims in the Scottish Highlands and islands face the longest fasting period in the UK. “In the Highlands, the light never really goes – it’s dusk, rather than complete darkness. We still have to go about our lives, so it can be tough,” said Waheed Khan, a hospital doctor and trustee of the Inverness Masjid, the most northerly mosque in the UK.


“But Muslims are motivated to fast. Thinking about it seems difficult, but doing it is fine,” he added.



Inverness is home to a few hundred Muslims, although numbers fluctuate with short-term employment contracts in the NHS and other industries. A handful of Muslims live further north, in Shetland. “One of the challenges is to make a [Ramadan] timetable for them,” said Khan.

 

[superbeets]

Many employers make special allowances for staff who are fasting, allowing shifts to be moved earlier in the day when energy levels are higher and giving people time out to pray.



“Lots of Muslims save up their holidays so they don’t have to work for at least part of Ramadan,” Mogra said. “And these days people have better choices – slow-release energy foods, for example – which make them better equipped.”



The NHS, one of the biggest employers of Muslims in the UK, said trusts determined policy individually in accordance with the Equality Act. “The NHS provides a wide range of adjustments for Muslims and other staff,” said a spokesperson. Good practice included accommodating requests for shift changes and other adjustments to the working day, they added.

 

[superbeets]

Ramadan coincides this year with school exams, prompting [FONT=Guardian Text Egyptian Web, Georgia, serif]headteachers to push for Muslim pupils to be exempted from fasting[/FONT]. “There is no doubt that Ramadan falling during the exam season will put extra pressure on young Muslims, whatever decision they make, especially with the length of the fast over the next few years,” said guidance from the Association of School and College Leaders.


“Young Muslims and families, particularly those sitting exams this summer, will need to balance their obligations as Muslims with their studies and the importance of examinations for their future, noting that the pursuit of education is also a religious and moral duty for Muslims of both genders.”



The exam regulator, Ofqual, declined to change the exam timetable to accommodate Ramadan.

 

[superbeets]

Muslims in the UK are expected to break last year’s £100m record of charity donations. Zakat, or charitable giving, is one of the five pillars of Islam and required for Muslims; sadaqah is additional voluntary charity.



“As Muslims, we believe that the worth of donations is multiplied during Ramadan,” said Othman Moqbel, chief executive of Human Appeal, one of the fastest-growing charities in the UK – annual donations to it have risen from £5m to £30m in the past five years.


About half of all gifts to Human Appeal are made during Ramadan. As well as aid and emergency programmes in 25 countries, the charity is involved in food banks, homeless shelters, mental health and domestic violence projects in the UK.


“Charity begins at home and the community which gives so generously to us deserves something in return,” said Moqbel.

 

[superbeets]

By

Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent

@harrietsherwood

Friday 3 June 2016 12.13 BST





Harriet Sherwood is the Guardian's religion correspondent. She was previously Jerusalem correspondent, foreign editor and home editor

 

[superbeets]

Ramadan 2016: Why Vimto becomes hugely popular during the Islamic holy month

The high sugar level and the strong flavour works as a welcome energy boost after a day of no food or drink

• May Bulman
• 16 hours ago

Much of the food and drink traditionally consumed by Muslims when they break the fast is homemade or natural - but this is an exceptionGetty


Ramadan begins on Tuesday and Muslims around the world arepreparing to abstain from eating and drinking during daylight for a month – and a certain British soft drink will play a major role.
While most of the food and drink traditionally consumed by Muslims when they break the fast is homemade or natural - such as spicy vegetables, paneer fritters and dates – Vimto is the slightly less conventional refreshment that is often brought to the table during Iftar.
The lurid purple drink, first manufactured in Manchester in 1908 and made from grape, blackcurrant and raspberry flavouring (and a lot of sugar), sees its sales go through the roof in Gulf states during Ramadan, with 31 million bottles sold in 2011 alone.

Follow
NUR @fahad_m0

Needa stack up on some vimto than I'm fully prepared for Ramadan
7:48 AM - 5 Jun 2016

• 
  
• 
  11 Retweet
• 
  11 like

​

Follow
hibs @kuwtbxebs

i'm craving vimto but that's only in the house during ramadan :/
11:26 PM - 6 Mar 2016

• 
  
• 
  11 Retweet
• 
  likes

​

It is thought the large quantity of sugar and the strong flavour is key to its popularity.





Manchester imam, Asad Zaman, told Kevin Bocquet on Radio 4’s Sunday programme: “One of the reasons it is so popular in the Middle East is because they have quite a sweet tooth.
“After a day of fasting your stomach has collapsed and your body is really low on energy. Anything sweet is a quick fix in terms of energising your body. Of course there are other things like dates which are recommended.”

Follow
nuha @_nhby

is it really Ramadan without vimto?
5:37 AM - 18 Jul 2015

• 
  
• 
  22 Retweets
• 
  44 likes

​

Follow
Almurr Almarri @Almurr7

#fact Vimto is the most consumed beverage during Ramadan.
11:19 PM - 2 Jun 2016

• 
  
• 
  22 Retweets
• 
  22 likes

​

Mr Zaman said Vimto is a good alternative to caffeine drinks but added that water is the best liquid for Muslims observing Ramadan to consume when they break their fast.
“It is important to avoid anything caffeine based as it will dehydrate your body more quickly because you will go to the loo more frequently and you need to maintain that water for as long as possible. Water is perhaps the best thing to drink,” he said.
The Vimto sold in the Gulf states is thought to be even higher in sugar levels than that sold in Western countries.



Salman Farsi, Media & Communications Officer at East London Mosque, told the BBC: “The recipe is probably made a bit stronger and sweeter for the Arab markets.
“They do particularly like their drinks to be bursting with sugar and flavour.”
For the world’s more than 1.6 billion Muslims, Ramadan marks a period of fasting from sunrise until sunet (including abstaining from both water and food), prayer and alms giving.
Fasting, alms giving and prayers are all part of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.

 

[ScottL]

Ramadan + the Points!

 

[PatsFan1283]

Olajuwan used to do the fasting during NBA season. The announcers would be like "Hakeem looks tired out there." as he was laboring up and down the court looking dead tired.

 

[superbeets]

[h=1]'Tis the season of bombers and Uber drivers who haven't eaten for 20 hours - welcome to the Midsummer madness of Ramadan[/h]

By KATIE HOPKINS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:25, 6 June 2016 | UPDATED: 13:30, 6 June 2016



And so it begins. Thirty days of not eating, drinking or having sex. Complete abstinence from the good things in life to prove other things matter more.
Luckily I'm not involved because I am not a Muslim.
But this Ramadan, the month of conquest and jihad according to ISIS, is going to be particularly testing.
Held each year during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, in 2016 this has coincided with a Northern Hemisphere's summer equinox, in which the days are longest.
By fasting from dawn to dusk, Muslims at northerly latitudes won't eat for the best part of 20 hours out of 24 — before saying special prayers, feasting, sleeping and starting all over again the next day.

+4


Ramadan, the Muslim event which begins today, in Britain raises all sorts of issues, writes Katie Hopkins. Pictured: Muslim men in east London prepare to eat Iftar, the evening meal to break fast during Ramadan




.
I appreciate some get a sick pass. If you are old or very young, a woman breast-feeding, bleeding or conceiving, you get let off. I'd do a Stephanie Davis and pretend to be preggers to sneak a cheeky kebab.
But for the majority, 20-hour days without food or water feel impossibly long. When I spoke to people about it as part of my radio phone-in at LBC, people raised all sorts of issues.
Safety was number one.
A high percentage of drivers for Uber are Muslim. Is it really safe to drive with someone whose personal fuel gauge is empty?
In A&E, would you feel safe in the hands of a dehydrated doctor?


.
Paul rang in to say he runs an engineering firm of 300 people. Last year one person lost a few fingers in heavy machinery. This year he has sent fasting Muslims home on full pay because he can't afford the moral hazard of someone hurting themselves.
[oddschecker]And legal advice says he certainly can't afford to send them home on no pay because he will take the heat for religious discrimination.
Obviously public sector employers — spending taxpayers' cash — are even more generous.
The NHS suggests a break every 40 to 50 minutes. Employer advice suggests rearranging the working day around Ramadan, allowing workers to work from home in the afternoon when they are tired and weak from not eating.

+4


A high percentage of drivers for Uber are Muslim. Is it really safe to drive with someone whose personal fuel gauge is empty?

Employers are advised to allow workers to log on and work after they have broken fast.
At 9.30 at night? How the heck is that supposed to be useful to a small business? Will I ask my customers to only place orders after midnight? To only call the office after dark?
Will I rearrange my livelihood around a religion? No I will not.
Non-Muslim workers begrudge the extra breaks and time off. Watching some get special treatment whilst you sit at your desk covering for their absence is no fun.
It is the same feeling I used to get when smokers took breaks, or mums left early each day because little Timmy needed picking up from school.
Why are personal matters employers' problems? Since when did I become responsible for your religion?
I used to think employers pay for the professional, you pay for the personal.
But this is no longer so. I am expected to accommodate the needs of those who are weak and dizzy because they believe they aren't allowed to eat a cheese sandwich.
And the madness of the thing is that fasting is put before progress, too. Thousands of kids will sit exams with their brains addled by hunger.
Exactly how you are supposed to write about the water cycle in an urban environment when you are stuck in an exam hall without a drop to drink is beyond me.
The Muslim Council wanted to force the UK to change exam dates, to disrupt the timetable of the many to accommodate the decision of the few.
I'd bet my last ham sandwich this will be mandatory from 2017.
I fail to see how Ramadan is compatible with normal modern life.
Many argue this Muslim festival is no different to the needs of Christians at Christmas who take time off for holidays or Christmas shopping.
But I don't return from a trip to town starving and desperate for a drink. If I did I'd pop to a non-halal restaurant of my choice.
Moreover, there are broader, more strategic concerns than health and safety or cost to employers.
Ramadan typically coincides with a spike in terror violence. The new target of choice is Europe, I fear it is only a matter of time before we take a much bigger hit.

+4


A security guard looks at the Euro 2016 fan zone, under construction on the Champs de Mars in Paris

ISIS is urging Muslims to strike against the West during Ramadan.
ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani called on jihadists to 'get prepared, be ready … to make it a month of calamity everywhere for nonbelievers … especially for the fighters and supporters of the caliphate in Europe and America.'
The threat is real.
A report by the State Department-led Overseas Security Advisory Council said the threat during Ramadan could be credible because three deadly terror attacks took place last year shortly after Adnani issued a similar call to arms.
This is where the religion of peace gets desperately confused.
Is it a month of self-sacrifice, self-discipline and charitable giving - or of vengeance?
No doubt the Muslim massive will say it is wrong to link Islam to ISIS. But the BBC's own Head of Religion and Ethics says they are inextricably linked. And he IS a Muslim;

+4


President Hollande is warning that Euro 2016, which coincides with Ramadan, will be a perfect opportunity for a terror attack

Speaking recently, Ahmed said: 'I hear so many people say ISIS has nothing to do with Islam - of course it has. They are not preaching Judaism. It might be wrong but what they are saying is an ideology based on some form of Islamic doctrine.'
President Hollande is warning that Euro 2016, which coincides with Ramadan, will be a perfect opportunity for a terror attack.
Scheduled to begin on 10 June, the soccer tournament is expected to draw 2.5 million spectators across 51 games in 10 stadiums nationwide. That's a very big potential target for a terror attack.
Teams from at least 24 countries are set to participate, and cities throughout Europe are also expected to host their own viewing events, potentially drawing large crowds that could also serve as potential targets.
There is always a strange tension in what Ramadan means to the Muslim population in the UK. For the majority it will be a period of self-denial followed by prayer, feasting and celebration.
For others it will be a call to jihad, seen as having special significance during a month in which self-sacrifice is supreme. Martyrdom during that month will hold a special allure to some of the half-starved.
And as ever, Britain and Europe will act as generous hosts to all of this chaos, accepting a religion which is not our own, paying staff too hungry to work, teaching kids who put their prophet before personal progress.
When I told Twitter this column was incoming a young woman asked 'what a white non-Muslim was doing writing a column on Muslims special day'.
It turns out being white is now a problem in my country. And as a non-Muslim, some feel I should not have a voice.
We are endlessly tolerant. Putting our arms around Islam just as the Head of the Caliphate calls for jihadists in Europe to stab us in the back.
If we are a truly secular society. Just how much longer are we going to pander to this intolerant religion of peace?


.

 

[superbeets]

Ramadan 2016: China bans civil servants and students from fasting in mainly Muslim region

• Matt Payton
• 3 hours ago

Chinese Muslims pray during a ceremony for breaking fast on the first day of Ramadan at Niujie Mosque in Beijing, China EPA


The Chinese government has imposed its customary ban on civil servants, teachers and students from fasting during Ramadan in a mainly Muslim region in Northwest China.
In the Xinjiang region where Muslims form 58 per cent of the population, restaurants have been ordered to keep normal opening hours.
While the majority of Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the holy month, the Chinese Communist party is officially atheist.




Human rights groups have blamed clashes between the region's 10 million-strong Uighar Muslim minority and state security forces on religious and cultural restrictions.
A notice on a government website in the central Xinjiang city of Korla read as: "Party members, cadres, civil servants, students and minors must not fast for Ramadan and must not take part in religious activities.




"During the Ramadan month, food and drink businesses must not close."
Dilxat Raxit from the exile group, the World Uyghur Congress, has condemned the restrictions, telling Khaleej Times: "China thinks that the Islamic faith of Uighurs threatens the rule of the Beijing leadership".





While local government has imposed its annual restrictions on observing Ramadan, Beijing has stated it in a white paper "there will be no interference" in Muslim religious practices.

 

[ScottL]

 

[ScottL]

An All-Timer!!!!!