Ramadan

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan finished recently. I don’t generally spend much time in Somalia during this month, partly because we have reduced work hours. We don’t have a lunch break and we allow people to return home mid-afternoon (when they are experiencing low blood sugar levels). In places like Somalia, the prohibition of drinking water is often more of a challenge than the lack of food given the heat and humidity.

A second reason that I avoid this season is that a lot of meetings are postponed until after Eid, the celebration at the close of the month. It can be difficult to get meetings with government officials so there is less incentive for me to invest in the cost of being in Mogadishu.

A third reason is that I don’t want someone to prepare food for me while they are fasting. I generally don’t eat lunch, particularly when I’m in Somalia, but I normally do eat dinner. Given the security restrictions, I can’t go out to restaurants after sunset and join in on the breaking of the fast (“iftar”). I’m always told that it’s not an issue but it makes me uncomfortable.

All this is sort of a moot point given that our organization is under a travel freeze due to funding cuts. It means I wouldn’t have been able to travel there anyway.

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Ramadan is an interesting time of year. It is a time of disciplining the body as well as deliberately turning to Allah. As with any religion, you have those who take it more seriously than others. But I’m always surprised at how seriously people respect these rituals. Many Muslims will read a chapter of the Qur’an a day and so read the entire Qur’an in the month of Ramadan. I have several colleagues that even continue fasting after Ramadan is over given that this supposedly provides adherents with additional blessings.

One of my female staff was telling me recently that for her, the fasting is less of a challenge than the sleep deprivation. Evenings are generally very full with the necessary time at the mosque as well as iftar meals with friends and family. In addition to the fact that these events can go well into the night, people need to wake early to have a robust breakfast before sunrise that will enable them to make it through the day.

Generally, throughout the month the streets are less crowded during the day. By late afternoon, the roads get very busy and people walk quickly to try and get home in time to prepare for Iftar. Tempers can increase. I was in a meeting a couple weeks ago and one of my team was uncharacteristically short tempered. He lashed back at someone who was on the call and a tense exchange ensued by two people who are normally rather mild-mannered. It’s not uncommon and I know that when I have low blood sugar, I can be short-tempered as well.

When the call to prayer comes, it’s time to eat. Many break the fast with a light meal consisting of gentler foods like water, juice, yogurt, fruit, or salty foods to replenish what was lost during the day. This prepares the stomach for the main meal. They then head to the mosque before having the big meal afterwards. 

Jemaa el-Fnaa

Priya and I happened to be in Morocco in 2007 during Ramadan. We were out in the famous main square of Marrakesh (Jemaa el-Fnaa) and restaurants were almost all full. People, mostly men, patiently sat at the tables with food in front of them awaiting the call from the towering mosque nearby. The moment that the call went out signaling that the sun had set, they dove in. No gentle breaking of the fast. 

mussels in Marrakesh

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Ramadan is now behind us. My team has more or less returned to normal, though normal is not what it used to be. We continue to grapple with the effects of the massive budget cuts. We brace ourselves for more cuts coming from our European donors. It’s a strange and difficult time that we are living in. I have former staff who were terminated due to the cuts that spent Ramadan without an income. It’s terribly sad. And we’re not out of the woods yet.