The Repercussions of Ramadan

Echo:

Isaac, I've been meaning to ask you this about Ramadan "fasting." It strikes me that it is not fasting at all but a resetting of your eating clock, so that you are eating at night and not during the day. What the blazes does this prove?? I suspect that the origins are military.

At the basic level, the point of fasting is to feel for the poor; to understand how the downtrodden live every day. In a sense, it's solidarity through suffering.

I was taught in school that fasting is more than not eating. Muslims have to deprive themselves of vices during the month and especially during the day. For example, no smoking, zipping up the foul language and not being a jerk.

I never bought into this. In fact, I thought, and still think, that Ramadan creates bad incentives for Muslims.

1. Muslims generally behave well during Ramadan. The rest of the year, the gloves are off. It's like they've got a license to be an ass. The bloody well know that they are not behaving in a decent manner since in Ramadan they curtail their nasty habits.

I, however, was consistent. My behavior didn't change--I was a bad Muslim before, during, and after Ramadan every year.

2. Resetting the clock is quite right. In Ramadan, Muslims usually feast during the night. In addition, they often gobble up a huge breakfast before sunrise and then they go to bed. They wake up in the afternoon, offer their late prayers, and after a few hours...it's another feast. (Solidarity, my ass.)

3. In Arabia, at least, most Muslims gain weight during Ramadan. My dad told me about many cases of obese and diabetic Saudis being rushed to the hospitals during the holy month.

Note, there are people who truly fast such as those who work in offices or those who attend school. So, it's not a picnic for everyone. Though, the richest could certainly afford to take time off and 'reset their clock'--which defeats the whole "purpose" of Ramadan.

4. Muslims would often get their kids to start Ramadan at the youngest possible age. This horrified me. I have seen Muslim parents present their young, pre-teen, children and gush at the fact that they fast while attending a full day of school in atrocious temperatures.

Do realize that's no food and zero water during the whole day for such kids. My parents, fortunately, didn't deprive myself and my siblings during Ramadan. Even though, we had "lunch break" during school, no junk food was sold. So, it was nice to come back home to a meal.

"What the blazes does this prove?"

Most Muslims are mindless sheep.

"I suspect that the origins are military."

Perhaps to lull the enemy? It's possible.

Oh, and don't miss this. I like to call it The Ramadan Effect.