Non-Muslims Who Fast During Ramadan

So, what are coalition forces planning to do for their first Ramadan in Iraq, which begins Monday, Oct. 27, 2003? The Associated Press reports today that they will be very respectful:

No eating, drinking or smoking in public: That word is going out to American soldiers in Iraq as Muslims prepare to observe the holy month of fasting, Ramadan. During Ramadan, expected to begin Sunday, Muslims are supposed to abstain from food, drink, cigarettes and sex during daylight hours. It is a time for reflection, when religious feelings run strong.

The U.S.-led coalition is clearly concerned that those feelings could erupt into violence against American troops by religious Iraqis deeply offended that their country will be spending Ramadan under military occupation by non-Muslims. "We have made sure all our forces are well aware of the implication of Ramadan," said Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. and coalition troops. "We're making sure our forces clearly understand what the traditions are, and what the sensitivities are to make sure that we're being respectful of the Iraqi people."

To that end, American and other allied troops have been attending "cultural sensitivity" classes, where instructors, mostly chaplains, explain Islamic traditions and the meaning of the Islamic holy month. "We don't want our soldiers to challenge any of those social customs or taboos or religious practices out of ignorance," said Lt. Col. Chester C. Egert, a chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division in Mosul.

And not just that, the news item continues:

Some of the troops have taken the sensitivity training to heart. Sgt. John Gainey, who admits he knew "absolutely nothing" about Ramadan, is considering fasting for a day himself, just so he can relate to the Iraqi experience. "It will give me further insight into why Muslims fast," he said. "It will be a good gesture for the Muslim people."

Reflections: (1) This is probably the most "culturally sensitive" occupation of a country in all of recorded history. (2) It is not likely to be rewarded with reciprocal good will. (3) Sgt. John Gainey appears to be on his way to converting to Islam, and he's probably not the only American soldier going down that path. (4) This is not the first time the U.S. military has bent over backwards to accommodate Islamic customs: Who could ever forget the government-issued abayas for female personnel in Saudi Arabia during the 1990s? And to this day, there remains a ban on bibles, erotica, pork, and hops going to soldiers deployed in CENTCOM's region. (October 25, 2003)

Nov. 11, 2003 update: In a related development, IslamOnLine reports today that DePaul University of Chicago, the second largest Catholic university in the United States, has provided nearly $3,000 in funding for the school's Muslim Student Association to sponsor iftars (dinners to break the fast).

Nov. 19, 2003 update: U.S. soldiers in Iraq are not the only American Christians experimenting with the Ramadan fast; they are joined by university students. The Palm Beach Post reported yesterday on the first Ramadan Fast-a-thon at Florida Atlantic University, "a one-day fast that included more than 100 students of all faiths," which had the dual purpose "to raise awareness and contributions for the Daily Bread Food Bank in West Palm Beach." Sujith John, a senior and a Christian reflected on the day's exertion: "It's not only about giving up food and water. It's about cleansing yourself." Meanwhile, at the University of Minnesota, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune today, the second annual Ramadan Fast-A-Thon took place, with the same dual purpose. Commented Cristina Edelstein, a senior and a Christian, on the experience: "This has been cool tonight. It's how God works, establishing communication between people." The similarity in these projects is no coincidence; the Muslim Student Association, a North American Islamist organization active on campuses, promotes the Fast-a-thon idea at a website. MSA reports that thirty campuses hosted Fast-A-Thon events in 2002, its first year of existence; Google's news search shows thirty items for 2003, suggesting that the program got off to a quick start but has since stalled.

Dec. 3, 2003 update: It's one thing for the Muslim Student Association to sponsor Ramadan Fast-A-Thons and quite another for the public schools of the State of California to do the same. Lowell Ponte notes in today's FrontPageMag.com that Len Cesene, a seventh grade world history teacher in Covina, California, outside of Los Angeles, recently sent the following note home with his students:

ROYAL OAK INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
World History Mr. Cesene

Dear Parents or Guardian,

As part of the world history curriculum, your student has recently been studying the rise of Islam and the teachings of Mohammed. Fundamental to the Muslim religion are the Five Pillars of Islam. They emphasize the "word of God," prayer, charity for the poor, fasting and the pilgrimage to Mecca. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from food or drink during daylight hours.

In an attempt to promote a greater understanding and empathy towards the Muslim religion and toward other culture, I am encouraging students to participate in an extra credit assignment. Students may choose to fast for one, two or three days. During this time, students may only drink water during daylight hours.

Once fasting is completed, students are to type a ½ page summary of their experience. They should describe how it felt to go without food during the day and connect it to the theme of sacrifice. Fasting is inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable, many religions to consider it an important sacrifice.

I wish to emphasize that this is an EXTRA CREDIT assignment and is by no means mandatory. For those unable to fast, they may choose to type a 2 page paper in which they compare different religions that encourage sacrifice during the year. I give my son or daughter permission to fast for one, two or three days.

Final papers for either project are due by wed. November 26th.

Student signature Parent signature

Far from this being a rogue assignment, Ponte points out, "Cesene was merely carrying out the statewide educational policy direction of the State of California. He was extending the pro-Islamic lessons in textbooks that have been used in California, Alabama, and many individual public school districts."

In response, I endorse what the local San Gabriel Valley Tribune argued in its editorial, "Assignment to fast out of line":

inside the classroom, we support teaching students about these faiths, not asking them to practice them. … Asking students to practice religion as part of a public school lesson is a violation of the country's separation of church and state laws. Yes, it doesn't matter that this was extra credit or that a student, presumably, could opt out. In this case, the teacher went too far by including the fasting assignment as part of his seventh-grade history lesson. Fasting during Ramadan … is tantamount to an extra-credit assignment about Catholicism that involves asking a student to practice the Stations of the Cross. Or teaching about Protestantism by requiring a student to take Holy Communion or become baptized. … Schools need to be sensitive not to cross the line into asking students to practice a religion.

San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis, right, plans to fast for the entire month of Ramadan—Islam's holy month—along with officer Matthew Ra'oof, left, as a gesture of support for the local Muslim community. Ra'oof says of his boss, "He's a man open to every religion, to every ethnic group." PATRICK TEHAN / MERCURY NEWS

Oct. 12, 2004 update: A new Ramadan season means some Christians start fasting. One of the first out of the box is Rob Davis, a Mormon and the police chief of San Jose, Calif.. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Davis was speaking to 7,000 Muslims last year during Ramadan and he realized that the vast crowd, unlike he, was hungry. "It just dawned on me, if I am truly going to understand the nuances of this religion, I should join them in this fast." He plans an iftar each night this year at his home with a different Muslim family as his guests.

Oct. 13, 2004 update: In an editorial, the Mercury News finds that the Ramadan gesture by Davis "promotes one of Silicon Valley's most treasured qualities -- respect for a range of religious and cultural experiences."

Oct. 25, 2004 update: According to the Islamic Cultural Centre at the London Central Mosque, the commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, Sir John Stevens, visited the ICC today and broke "his special Ramadhan fast at an ICC dinner."

Nov. 6, 2004 update: Holly Lebowitz Rossi of Religion News Service reports that "some non-Muslims, particularly college students, have learned about the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of the holy month and are adopting the practice of fasting themselves. Reasons range from hunger awareness to a statement of political solidarity to a desire to practice a spiritual discipline." She then gives the example of Cindy Thoman-Terlazzo of York, Penn., a Unitarian Universalist who is fasting for all three reasons. Rossi notes that non-Muslims who fast during Ramadan usually do so in conjunction with a local Muslim community effort, and that the Ramadan Fast-A-Thon is one of the most organized of these efforts. Started in 2001 by a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, Sanjana Ahmad, the Ramadan Fast-A-Thon in 2003 involved 9,300 non-Muslims and raised $46,000 for charities. This year, it is active at nearly 150 colleges.

Sep. 16, 2005 update: A new Ramadan and a new initiative, this one from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a "a wonderful new nationwide initiative titled ‘Sharing Ramadan'."

"Sharing Ramadan" is a new annual campaign started by CAIR for local communities to host iftar dinner receptions and open houses for our neighbors of other traditions. Since sharing and appreciation are essential components of Ramadan, we hope local mosques, community centers and Islamic schools will take this opportunity to invite their neighbors to join them for a meal during an iftar.

A 13-page "Resource Guide 2005," then gives exact guidelines how to do this, from the media advisory (complete with manufactured quotes), to the guest list, to the invitation letter that warns about men and women sitting separately, to the mix of foods, to the substance of the occasion ("Be sure to have displays and make presentations about Islam and Muslims"). CAIR has thought the whole event through for you.

Oct. 5, 2005 update: Carol Wolman describes herself as a "lifelong peace activist" who "is actively working to impeach Bush and Cheney." From this far-left perch, she also advocates non-Muslims fasting for Ramadan. In an article titled "Why Americans should observe Ramadan: Dissociate from the Bush regime, join the ummah," she explicitly posits Islam as a way for anti-Americans to reject their country.

Any American who considers him/herself a servant of God can join the ummah [which she correctly defines as "the body of Islam"] and observe Ramadan. There are no special ceremonies needed to become a Muslim, one simply has to accept Allah, and the validity of Muhammed's prophetic mission.

Right after her advocating conversion to Islam, Wolman connects this to her political differences with U.S. foreign policy:

Most Americans now disagree with Bush's Iraq policy, feel that invading Iraq was a mistake at best, and that staying there is making matters worse. …

How can we the people dissociate ourselves from the actions of the non-representative Bush regime, and show our compassion for and solidarity with the Iraqi people?

Observing Ramadan, fasting with the Muslims, is an excellent way to do this. It gives us deeper empathy with their suffering. The voluntary austerity of the Ramadan fast will strengthen us, strengthen our ability to oppose the attack on the ummah perpetrated by the ongoing occupation of Iraq. It will help us identify with people all over the world, and break down the us/them barrier. It also will demonstrate our dedication to peace, and disassociate us from the nefarious policies of the Bush administration.

Fasting for Ramadan brings us closer to God, the God of peace and love. It will move us toward realizing the dream of universal brother/sisterhood.

As though not quite understanding what she has just advocated, Wolman then quotes Psalm 86: 9, links to a Peacemakers Bible Study group, and signs off with "In the name of the Prince of Peace."

Oct. 17, 2005 update: Kharman Aidun, a Zoroastrian student reporter at La Voz Weekly (a publication of De Anza College in Cupertino, California) decided to go the whole way for Ramadan, moving in with a Muslim friend, wearing a hijab, waking for the 5 a.m. prayers, praying five times a day, and (of course) fasting during the daylight hours during. Her conclusion? "I gained insight I would not have had otherwise by immersing myself in this culture for only one week."

Oct. 27, 2005 update: Fr. Labib Kobti, founder of Al-Bushra in San Francisco, an "Arab American Roman Catholic Community," has started "Ramadan Fasters of Christ" a program for American Christians to keep the Ramadan fast. As he explains:

We have joined you in keeping the fast of Ramadan this year, as a freewill offering to God accompanying our prayer for peace, justice, and a spirit of love to grow among the peoples of the Abrahamic religions. It is our desire that all over the world, if God so wills, Muslim, Jew and Christian can learn to stand together in brotherhood in the sight of their Creator.

Then comes the political twist:

But we are mourning many of the deeds of our government and our people, as they continue to involve themselves in the affairs of Islamic peoples, and the lives of Muslim detainees held at United States facilities, without sufficiently caring or understanding what they are doing to the people whose lives they affect. To our sorrow, we see many American Christians trusting, supporting, and following policy-makers whose guiding principle seems to be "let us do evil, that good may come of it," as if they did not know that our own scripture explicitly condemns it (Romans 3:8).

The fast will be undertaken for reasons of political solidarity:

This month we curb our natural appetites during daylight hours to be more mindful of the One to whom we must return, the Highest, our Helper. We perceive, sadly, that many American Christians lack understanding of what it means to be a Muslim. How better to change that than for some of us to join the Muslim world in its Ramadan fast? We also hope that such self-restraint as we gain from the fast might help restore a spirit of self-restraint to American culture, in however small a way, for on our learning self-restraint now seems to depend the saving of the world from ruin.

Comment: It is noteworthy how many different motivations can inspire non-Muslims to fast during Ramadan.

Dec. 8, 2005 update: A scathing editorial today in the Globe and Mail brings another Ramadan-solidarity-fast to my attention. The editorial notes how Hassan Almrei, "an admitted passport forger and that there is good reason to believe he is a holy warrior who espouses Osama bin Laden's murderous philosophy," has won a celebrity following in Canada:

Pierre Trudeau's filmmaker son Alexandre has offered to post a $5,000 bond to help him make bail. Former federal NDP leader Alexa McDonough offered $100 toward bail. Diana Ralph, a Jewish activist who told the court her father was an international lawyer with the Nuremberg war-crimes tribunal, built a $32,000 basement apartment for him in the hope the judge would release the Muslim man into the care of her and her spouse. Ms. Ralph says she knows him better than she knows her own son. (They speak daily on the phone, and she visited him weekly.)

A reader notes that Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada has sponsored an "International Ramadan Solidarity Fast."

The Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada would like to invite you to join an international fast of solidarity with the largely Muslim detainees from the so-called war against terror (a war against democracy really) who are imprisoned across the globe.

Oct. 3, 2006 update: U.S. troops are spending their fourth Ramadan in Iraq and the practice of abstaining from food and drink has, according to a report posted at JihadWatch.org clearly become more official. "Don't you know it's Ramadan?" is an account by a soldier at a weekly meeting somewhere in Iraq.

I arrived in typical fashion, early to get a seat and grab a beverage prior to the rush. When I approached the small fridge to grab a soda, I was told by another staff officer "sorry, no drinks, it's Ramadan". Incredulously, I replied, what!!!? Turns out, we had 2 visiting Iraq Generals briefing a future operation, and in an effort to be culturally sensitive, the order was put out there would be no drinking in the presence of the Iraqis.

Greatly displeased, I drove on and found my seat. This Major was on a mission, there would be no drinking as I watched her chastise numerous officers. She then came to a man of Middle Eastern appearance in civilian dress who took up a seat behind the yet to arrive Iraqi Generals. He pulled out a cranberry juice from his pocket, and was quickly told he would not be aloud to drink anything during the meeting. He was clearly agitated, but put the juice away. It apparently slipped by the dutiful Major that the man she was correcting was an Iraqi translator who was Muslim! He was the Iraqi General's personal translator.

I took a moment to ponder what I had just witnessed. An American infidel enforcing Islamic tradition on an apparently secular Muslim! I was truly in bazzaro world.

Oct. 9, 2006 update: Another Ramadan, another opportunity for non-Muslims to keep the Muslim fast. This year, Pax Christi USA, a left-wing Roman Catholic group announced that thousands of its members are fasting for Ramadan as a gesture to soothe tensions following Pope Benedict XVI's quote of a Byzantine emperor saying that Islam is "evil and inhuman." Likewise, a leftist group (unnamed) in Ann Arbor, Mich. has organized a "solidarity fast" of three-day shifts for the entire 30 days of Ramadan to demonstrate its opposition to the U.S. fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sgt. Jeremy Pitcher, a spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq, says that dozens of American service members in Iraq's Al-Anbar province are fasting as "a gesture of good will, a gesture of respect for the nation of Iraq, for the culture of Iraq."

Finally, the collegiate Fast-a-thon claims to have spread to more than 250 U.S. campuses this year.

Oct. 11, 2006 update: One of those campuses is Indiana University, where a news report in the Indiana Daily Student reports that 600-700 people have signed up for the Fast-a-thon and 200-300 people are expected at the iftar dinner. Its slogan is "Go hungry for a day so someone else won't have to," the logic of which somewhat escapes me. But what is most noteworthy is that, for each student participant, some local businesses, primarily restaurants, reportedly have agreed to donate money to a community kitchen.

June 12, 2007 update: A feature story by Michael Y. Park, "Islamberg: A Terror Compound in New York ... or Misunderstood Neighbors?" takes a look at the 70-acre compound in which more than 100 Muslims live in seclusion located in Deposit, N.Y., at the foot of the Catskill Mountains. In the course of detailing the relations between Islamberg and the townspeople, Park writes that post-9/11 suspicions of the compound caused a notable cooling. Then this:

And though the community is noticeably less friendly that it once was, some say that it still welcomes those who make an effort to be sympathetic. The doctor at the local clinic in Deposit, John Giannone, now fasts on Ramadan out of respect for the community's beliefs and has maintained a relatively close relationship with the group. When his house was devastated by flooding that nearly wiped Deposit off the map in June 2006, volunteers from Islamberg came down and helped him clear out the debris and clean up the rental home his family had moved into. Giannone says they even did the dishes.

Sep. 25, 2007 update: "Area businesses have promised to donate money for every non-Muslim student who agrees to fast during the daylight hours of October 6, 2007," reports the University of Pennsylvania MSA. Interesting that the donations are only for non-Muslims.

Oct. 21, 2007 update: Fast-a-thon claims that "Over 280 Schools Worldwide Held Fast-a-thons in 2007!"

Aug. 28, 2008 update: If Islamists have their way, non-Muslims won't have a choice about observing the rules of Ramadan, writes Ted Jeory, "Hard to Swallow: Town Hall bid to extend Ramadan fast to non-Muslims fuels row." The town councilors in Tower Hamlets, an area in East London, received an e-mail outlining arrangements for Town Hall committee meetings over the next month, during Ramadan. Jeory explains:

It said that new council leader Lutfur Rahman and his deputy, Siraj Islam, had requested that meetings be kept to a minimum to accommodate fasting councillors. They have also asked all other councillors to resist eating until the breaking of the fast at sunset. … Council bosses have also ordered that the Town Hall's business agenda should also be reduced, with only seven scheduled committee meetings for the entire month, to deal with the Ramadan restrictions. Officers have also been barred from arranging any more and asked to find ways of dropping some of the scheduled seven. …

Normally, tea, coffee and sandwiches are set aside for councillors to nibble at during evening meetings. But during Ramadan, these will be reduced and complemented by Iftar food packs containing chicken, lamb and vegetarian snacks. However, in his email the council's head of democratic services John Williams said: "It is requested that members do not partake of any refreshments until aft er the Iftar refreshments are served."

Sep. 9, 2008 update: Hindus are also joining the fast, comes a brief report from Bombay about Bollywood friends Feroz Lakadwala and Vivek Abrol. Feroz keeps the fast and other rituals of Ramadan, despite a grueling schedule: "Ramadan is very important. I have to answer to the Almighty," he says. Vivek plans to observe the fast as well. The reporter concludes that "Vivek and Feroz are the new faces of modern India proving that festivals like Ramadan often help bridge the religious divide."

Sep. 10, 2008 update: The French television station France24 finds a whole pattern of "Christians observing Ramadan." In some cases, the motive is mainly to please a lover or spouse:

Guillaume Maillet, a French medical student, observes Ramadan (a holy month for Muslims). For him it's a gift to his girlfriend. "I've been observing Ramadan for the past two years and I think I'll observe it again in the future. I've nothing to lose. It's manageable physically; and I think it's an ideal way to prove my love to my better half," Maillet says.

At the same time Guillaume doesn't want to go overboard, he fasts only on his days off from work. He enjoys the serene ambiance at home before breaking the day's fast. "In the evening, I love sharing Iftar (the first meal to break the day's fast) with my girlfriend. There is a tiny notion of a reward and there is something euphoric about the whole thing." He recalls the excitement during Christmas when Santa Claus climbs down the chimney to leave gifts. "We wait in excitement, day and night on 24^th (Christmas eve), to discover our gifts the next day," says Maillet. While Maillet says the process reminds him to think about those who are starving, he admits that he wasn't motivated by spirituality to observe Ramadan.

Jean-Pierre Malvis, a 32-year-old French engineer, observes Ramadan for a day or two as a sign of "solidarity and respect for his wife."

"I just follow whatever she does. I don't eat, I don't smoke and I restrict myself from the same activities as she does. And imagine this….I don't drink, not even on the sly!" So what does he learn after an entire day of fasting? Nothing much, admits this agnostic who describes himself as someone who doesn't take fasting too seriously. "Apart from the fact that historically Ramadan is for the rich, who deprive themselves of all luxuries to experience what the poverty-stricken people go through, I find no other reason than this," Malvis says.

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