Published: 10/14/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) United by faith and piety bbas Al Lawati, Zoi Constantine and Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporters
The UAE sits at the centre of the Islamic world, with Asia to its east, Africa to its west and Europe to its north, serving as a meeting point for Muslims from all over the world with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. During significant religious periods such as Ramadan, the UAE and its Muslim residents celebrate their unity in faith and their diversity of backgrounds. With citizens of more than 200 nations residing in the country, it is not only a place for global interaction, but also one for Muslims from around the world to meet. UAE-based Muslims from throughout the world spoke to reporters Abbas Al Lawati, Zoi Constantine and Emmanuelle Landais about how the month is observed in their countries, and what is unique about Ramadan in their culture. Turkey Munir Tokdemir, 36 Greeting: Hayerleh Ramadan las In Turkey, one week before Ramadan begins, we welcome the month by going shopping to get prepared. During the month, rich people build tents where the poor can go to eat iftar. It is a month for giving. "Over Ramadan, people are more open and respectful with each other. You are not allowed to shout or swear at each other. During Ramadan, we have special traditions such as puppet shows which tell special stories and tell jokes. "Also each city has a ball which they throw into the sea to mark the beginning of iftar. It is a special handmade ball which symbolises the beginning of the period when you can start eating and be with your family. Also every night we have singers and drummers who go through the streets at 3am to wake everyone to start preparing their food and also to pray. "We have special foods for Ramadan, particularly sweets such as tolomba, which is like a biscuit, and of course baklawa. The family atmosphere in Ramadan is much closer and it is really nice to see many people praying together, rich and poor. Everyone is the same during Ramadan. Azerbaijan Valida Gazibayova, 24 Greeting: Ramazan bayraminiz mubare'k Because Azerbaijan is still recovering from the Soviet times people dont have that kind of religious awareness and not as many people fast there, but that is slowly changing. "The younger people fast more now that there is more religious freedom. The working day does change there but its not as regulated as it is here. People have the option to leave early if they want. "In Azerbaijan, women cook at home and skilfully prepare their dishes without even tasting them in Ramadan. I share an apartment in Dubai with a Tunisian and an Algerian so I learn from them. Colleagues from work have also taught me about Islam and Ramadan. China Mohammad, 26 Greeting: Zhai Yue Kuai Le China is obviously not an Islamic country, but most of the Muslims live in the north-western region and you can certainly get a festival feeling during Ramadan. The whole community takes part and gets together, so we feel closer. "The main difference would obviously be that we dont get shorter working days there, unlike here in the UAE. We get time off during Eid though. Like here, we tend to break our fast with dates and water. This is our tradition. "Then for our iftar meal we have the food that comes from our region. It depends where you are living in China, but where I come from we have soup, followed by something like kebabs, breads and salads. "You can still see the Arabic influence even in the food. In China, it is quite free and we can practice our religion without any interference. Particularly during Ramadan we feel far closer as a community. Lebanon Ahmad Dahhan, 24 Greeting: Ramadan Kareem Because Lebanon is religiously diverse you dont feel Ramadan everywhere you go, but the Muslim neighbourhoods are usually active during the month. "People tend to stay up late in Lebanon during Ramadan. Ramadan tents are very popular and because they are open till late people often have suhoor there before going home. "Most families like to wake up before dawn to have their suhoor meal, but younger people sometimes choose to eat before going to bed, especially if they go to bed late. "At suhoor time, before dawn, a man walks around the neighbourhood hitting a drum and calling for the sleepy to wake up. This is usually voluntary, and most people like it. At Eid time, the man knocks on our doors to wish us Eid Mubarak, and were expected to give him Eidiyya money. "What I find different here is that people have big iftar feasts inviting many friends and relatives during Ramadan. In Lebanon we usually have iftar with our families. "In Muslim areas of Lebanon, work hours are shorter. I feel the Ramadan atmosphere in the UAE more because more people observe the month and the fast here. Jordan Ebrahim Al Zubi, 32 Greeting: Ramadan Kareem In Jordan, Ramadan is a really family-orientated time of the year with relatives invited round to the family home and mums home cooking wafting around the house for iftar. "We always get together to eat, we dont go out. Here I have been to the restaurant with friends every night, its so much fun because I have non-Muslim friends who join me sometimes but its not like back home. In Jordan the food is great and there are home-made deserts and drinks like tamarind. Egypt Ali Mohammad, 30 Greeting: Ramadan Kareem During Ramadan in Egypt, like elsewhere, the first thing we do is pray. Then we break our fast, normally beginning with juices like tamarind, karkadeh, amardeen [apricot], then dates and water. After that, we start Maghreb prayers and then we begin eating again. "We start with soup and then we have dishes such as mulukhiyya and rice, or chicken or meat, bamiya [okra], fassoulieh, kulash, besseleh, potatoes and beans. The most important thing is the desert, where we have things like qatayef and qunafeh, hareesa and um ali. Most of these are special to Ramadan. "Then we have tea and coffee. In Egypt, we like tea too much. Afterwards we pray once more and then we go for coffee again with friends. Later, we go to visit people with our families. During Ramadan, I feel very happy, as we are always sitting together with our families... Iran Arash Y, 30 Greeting: Ramadan Mubarak In Iran, work hours are much shorter than usual so there is a lot of time for family. Despite the fact that we dont conduct taraweeh prayers in Iran, people spend much of their free time worshipping in mosques. "Whats different about Ramadan in Iran is that everything is quiet during iftar time. Youll never find a shop open at iftar. Work hours are up to 3pm and shops close for the day then too, unlike Dubai where shops are open until late in the night. "Theres much more activity here after iftar. Iranians like breaking their fasts with a small meal of dates, cheese and bread and have a bigger meal later on. "Tabrizi cheese and Sangek bread are very popular during Ramadan. We also have a dish called haleem, which is very similar to the local harees, except that we use sugar in it instead of salt. India Tajuddin, 36 Greeting: Ramzan Mubarak The most striking difference about Ramadan here is that you can feel it everywhere here. It wasnt the same back home in Kerala [a south Indian state], where society is very secular. "There are no changes in work hours and everyday life is the same, so its hard to adjust sometimes. In mosques there, one member of the community provides a light iftar for all the worshippers each day, and we all take turns. "In wealthy neighbourhoods full meals are provided at mosques. Its very common for us to invite our non-Muslim neighbours home for iftar, who are often interested in learning about Ramadan and Islam. "There are lots of special Ramadan dishes in Kerala, including many egg and banana based dishes. One very popular item is patteri, which is a rice flour-based and bread-like, to be eaten with meat. Malaysia Syed Muhadzir Jamallulil Greeting: Selamat berpuasa In Malaysia, there is more than one way to be notified about iftar time. Aside from the adan that comes from the mosques, you can hear sirens like that of a fire brigade. "Also, in villages and remote areas a wooden trunk is beaten by the bilal, or drummer, at iftar time. What is unique about Ramadan in Malaysia is Bazaar Ramadan that is held in cities. Streets are blocked to make way for a market that runs from 3pm until iftar time. "It is basically a market of lined up stalls that sell traditional Malay cuisine and exotic Ramadan food. Its also popular with the tourists. Ramadan in Malaysia is spiritual and religious. Work hours are usually shorter during Ramadan. "Offices close at 4pm and people dont spend late nights out. Grilled chicken, coconut juice and sugar cane juice are popular during Ramadan. Pakistan Ahmad Jamal, 36 Greeting: Ramadan Mubarak I come from Karachi, which is a metropolitan and diverse city where Ramadan can be felt throughout the month. Whats special about Ramadan is that everyone distributes food to their neighbours and there is a lot of socialising and family get-togethers. "Since people fast during the day and stay up late at night, there is a lot of sporting activity that goes on during Ramadan in Karachi, like night cricket, night football and badminton. http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10074869.html Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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