Turkey to continue aid efforts for Rohingya in Ramadan

17.05.2018

ANKARA

Turkish charitable groups aim to reach thousands of Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) plans to deliver food parcels to 5,000 families living in refugee camps and in villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

The agency is also set to set up tents to serve iftars, or fast-breaking meals, for as many as 30,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

TIKA will also supply a separate group of 30,000 people with food parcels that contain salt, sugar, biscuit, persimmon, tea, onion, potato, pepper and chickpea, along with personal care items.

The agency will also establish new shelters for 180 families in Rakhine.

Also, the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) -- the charity organization of Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs -- is set to distribute more than 6,000 food packages for Rohingya in Myanmar and provide 5,000 families with iftar meals.

The foundation also plans to deliver 10,000 food packages and serve iftar meals for 13,000 Rohingya in Cox-Bazaar, Bangladesh.

The Turkish Red Crescent Society will give food parcels and personal care products to 2,000 families in Bangladesh on a weekly basis during Ramadan.

The Turkish Red Crescent will also organize two iftar meals in Cox Bazaar.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, some 750,000 Rohingya, mostly children, and women, fled Myanmar when Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to the Amnesty International.

At least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine state from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, according to Doctors Without Borders.

In a report published on Dec. 12, the global humanitarian organization said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.

Source: Anadolu Agency.
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkey-to-continue-aid-efforts-for-rohingya-in-ramadan/1149094.

Turkish charity to send Ramadan aid to Syria's Afrin

15.05.2018

AFRIN, Syria

A foundation linked to Turkey's top religious body said Tuesday it will distribute aid to 40,000 Syrians during the holy month of Ramadan in Syria's terror-liberated city of Afrin.

Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) head Mehmet Savas Polat told Anadolu Agency that they accelerated humanitarian aid projects in the eve of Ramadan.

"We will distribute iftar [fast-breaking meals] to up to 20,000 people and also food packages to 20,000 more people in Afrin within the scope of Ramadan aid," Polat said.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorist groups from Afrin, northwestern Syria amid growing threats from the region.

On March 18, Turkish-backed troops liberated the Afrin town center, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK terrorists since 2012.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

Source: Anadolu Agency.
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkish-charity-to-send-ramadan-aid-to-syrias-afrin/1146985.

Marking Ramadan, Palestinians launch 'Date and Water' campaign to break fast on the road

May 29, 2017

A group of Palestinian volunteers have launched their annual campaign to offer dates and water to drivers and their passengers across the occupied West Bank throughout the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Dubbed “Dates and Water”, the campaign has been launched for the third year and caters for travelers who are on the road at Iftar time, sunset.

Mahmoud Abdulmoneim, one of the volunteers responsible for the campaign, told Quds Press that the idea behind the campaign was initiated by a group of youths in the town of Sebastia, near occupied Nablus.

The youths wanted to encourage volunteering in the West Bank, Abdulmoneim said, adding that the location was chosen because it is a central area through which hundreds of Palestinians pass.

The process of distributing dates and water starts shortly before the call for Maghreb prayers, which comes at sunset, Abdulmoneim added.

Around 15 volunteers participate in the campaign, aiming to offer dates and water to around 300 travelers.

A number of local Palestinian companies and donors provide the dates to the volunteers for free.

The campaign was well-received, with some drivers coming out of their cars to help the volunteers distribute their Iftar packs, Quds Press cited Abdulmoneim saying.

The campaign inspired youth to come up with more initiatives, such as volunteering to clean and decorate Sebastia to mark the month of Ramadan.

Abdulmoneim called for utilizing the month of Ramadan to maximize volunteering activities among Palestinians and reinforce the sentiments of support and solidarity in light of the difficult living conditions that Palestinians endure under occupation.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170529-marking-ramadan-palestinian-volunteers-launch-campaign-to-enable-travellers-to-break-their-fast-on-the-road/.

Muslims worldwide to mark the start of Ramadan on Thursday

June 18, 2015

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslims around the world will mark the start of Ramadan on Thursday, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar and a moon-sighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart. However, this year religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and most other parts of the world announced based on their sightings of the moon that daily fasting would begin Thursday.

Authorities in Pakistan have yet to announce the sighting of the moon. During Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for the entire month. A single sip of water or a puff of a cigarette is considered enough to invalidate the fast.

The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often give to charities during the month, and mosques and aid organizations organize free meals for the public every night.

Fasting also is seen as a way to physically and spiritually detoxify through exercising self-restraint. Sexual intercourse between spouses also is off-limits during the day, while Muslims also are encouraged to be mindful of their behavior and to avoid gossiping, cursing and quarreling.

This year, Ramadan falls during the summer, which means long and hot days of fasting. Mainstream scholars advise Muslims in northern European countries with 16 hours or more of daylight to follow the cycle of fasting of the nearest Muslim majority nation to them to avoid impossibly long hours without food or water.

Chairwoman Pia Jardi at the Finnish Muslim Union in Helsinki said Muslims there will be fasting for 21 hours and have just three hours — or even less — for eating, drinking and prayer before the sun rises again.

"The good thing is that you'll eat with moderation and that you'll stick very much into the true, simple spirit of Ramadan," Jardi said. "Long fasting time means you rarely want to eat heavily." In a statement, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle extended their "warmest greetings to all those observing the month of fasting in the United States and around the world."

The world's 1.6 billion Muslims traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did around 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. Then family and friends gather for a large feast. Part of the evening is often spent at the mosque in prayers called "taraweeh."

Children, the elderly, the sick, women who are pregnant or menstruating and people traveling are not obligated to fast. Non-Muslims or adult Muslims not observing the fast who eat in public during the day in Ramadan can be fined or even jailed in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, home to large Western expatriate populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity and performing the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr.

Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Finland, contributed to this report.

Mauritania celebrates Ramadan

By Bakari Gueye in Nouakchott for Magharebia
17/07/2014

At the mid-point of Ramadan, Mauritanians are heeding advice to advocate moderate discourse.

"Our genuine Islamic values require us to display solidarity and brotherhood at all times, and especially during this blessed month of transcendence and kindness among Muslims, despite all hardships," President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on June 28th.

He urged worshipers to stay "within the framework of our holy religion, far removed from any extremism, which spurs some people to commit destructive acts when they believe they are doing good and to make mistakes when they think they are right".

The faithful have been reading the Quran and holding meetings to spread the good word.

Young people are mainly active at night, when they play ball and card games, and meet at cafés and other venues.

The authorities have taken all steps necessary to ensure that markets are stocked with basic necessities and other goods. They are also making sure the holy month is celebrated in an atmosphere of security.

Nouakchott was divided into three zones protected by the National Guard, the gendarme and the police. An increasing number of officers from the General Group for Road Safety (GGSR) can also be seen on the streets of Nouakchott.

Media outlets, both state-run and private, changed their scheduling for the month. Most programs are about Ramadan. They feature scholars and doctors who explain the virtues and consequences of fasting.

"Ramadan is a holy month and in Mauritania, we give it all the importance it deserves," said Cheikh Tourad Ould Sidi, a teacher at a mahdhara.

"It's a month of joy when people celebrate God and his prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him," he told Magharebia.

"In our country, religion pervades everything and we celebrate values such as love, brotherhood, solidarity and forgiveness," Ould Sidi added. Ramadan is also good for Mauritanian merchants.

In preparation for the holy month, they stock up on all kinds of food and kitchen items.

"Customers have been flocking to buy dates. It's an item that sells well, and we have dates to suit all tastes and budgets," vendor Sidati Ould Ahmed said.

"This month is the most profitable time of the year for us. Demand is very high, as you can see," Nouakchott trader Mohamed Lemine Ould Limam told Magharebia. "Thank God, business is brisk."

Charitable NGOs are also stepping in to offer relief to the poor.

Mariem Mint El Mokhtar of the Women's Association to Combat Poverty and Illiteracy said the group organized a project this year to "co-ordinate all of the good work that people do to help the most disadvantaged in society".

"The goal is to strengthen the ties between the different segments of society," she said.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2014/07/17/feature-04.

Tunisian Ramadan dramas take on taboos

By Monia Ghanmi in Tunis and Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia
09/07/2014

Ramadan television dramas are drawing a large audience in Tunisia, a success that many attribute to the shows' bold take on modern social ills.

The series "Naourat al Hawa" and "Maktoub" shed light on several social issues experienced by Tunisian society, including the exploitation of street children, trade in human organs, organized prostitution networks, torture in prisons, as well as the promotion and consumption of drugs and alcohol among young people.

For 50-year-old housewife Aicha Ben Sassia, the topics are taboo despite the fact they are at the heart of the Tunisian reality and affect different groups and social circles.

"We do not disagree with the directors of these productions," she said. "All topics that are addressed are rampant in our society, especially with the increasing crime in the country. We remain hopeful that these series and what they reveal will help push to reduce these problems and address them."

Her husband Ahmed Souri, a bric-a-brac dealer, said, "I think that the series this year expressed the hidden social reality of Tunisia or what Tunisia wants to hide."

"We need such purposeful work to reveal our truths that we should not be ashamed to address in public. This leads us to think about how to find solutions to our issues," he added.

For his part, Majdi Jaouadi, a 27-year-old-doctoral student, commented that what was portrayed in the Ramadan dramas was the essence of the truth.

"The scenes of corruption, moral decay and suffering that have been filmed in the slums and high-end places, are manifestations of present in Tunisian society," he stated.

"I wish these issues would be taken seriously and that attention would be drawn to them before further tragedies are caused," Jaouadi said.

Despite these dramas' positive reception by the majority of Tunisians, some scenes aired by the series "Maktoub" from inside prisons, which depicted the living conditions of the detainees and ill-treatment by agents, were subjected to criticism by the prison's union.

The series gave an inaccurate picture of what is happening in prison, according to Makrem Chahbani, the assistant secretary-general of the Union of Prisons and Reform. He said that the content had nothing to do with reality.

Moroccan Ramadan TV lambasted by viewers

Ramadan is also the high season for Moroccan television production. Although the public criticizes the mediocrity of the new programs aired by Moroccan channels every time, they are still excited to watch the home-made shows broadcast during the holy month.

"The artists who mess things up and present a mediocre series or soap to the public must revise their working methods," remarked Hicham Salmi, a public sector worker. "Their careers are at stake. It's a big disappointment for us. But we mustn't generalize. The TV films that have been shown so far have been of good quality."

However, Communications Minister Mustapha El Khalfi has given repeated assurances about the quality of national programs broadcast during the holy month. During his most recent speech before MPs on June 24th, he explained that the ministry was gradually introducing competition to encourage an improvement in quality.

When contacted by Magharebia, some Moroccans said they watched Arab channels and shunned local ones.

"Why should I keep on watching mediocre Moroccan programs when Arab television channels offer me a whole range of things? And then there are the football matches that are broadcast by international channels, which many people love," said Karima Sikhi, an accountant.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2014/07/09/feature-03.

Ramadan in Sweden with no dusk, no dawn

Cajsa Wikstrom
07 Jul 2014

Kiruna, Sweden - During this year's holy month of Ramadan, when consumption of food and water is prohibited between dawn and dusk, how do Muslims observing the fast manage in the far north of Scandinavia, where the sun never sets?  

An estimated 700 Muslims are spending Ramadan in the mining town of Kiruna, located 145km north of the Arctic Circle and surrounded by snowcapped mountains throughout the summer. Many of them are recent asylum seekers, sent to Kiruna while their claims are processed.

The sun stays up around the clock from May 28-July 16, which constitutes half of the fasting period this year.

"I started Ramadan by having suhoor with the sun shining in my eyes at 3:30 in the morning," said Ghassan Alankar from Syria, referring to the meal just before dawn.

"I put double curtains in my room and still, there's light when I'm going to sleep."

Since there is no central authority in Sunni Islam that could issue a definite religious ruling, or fatwa, Muslims in the north are using at least four different timetables to break the fast.

Alankar sticks to Mecca time, Saudi Arabia, "because it's the birthplace of Islam". But he is worried about whether his fast will be accepted by God.

"I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing," said Alankar, who arrived in Kiruna seven months ago after a hazardous journey via Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece. "Only when I'm in God's house, if I make it to heaven, I will know."

No dusk, no dawn

The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new moon, which  moves about 11 days back in the Gregorian calendar each year. About every 33 years, Ramadan falls at the same time.

A majority of those who fast in Kiruna follow the timings of the capital Stockholm, 1,240km further south, after being advised by the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), a Dublin-based private foundation composed of Islamic clerics.

"In Stockholm, there's day and night," Hussein Halawa, secretary-general of the council, told Al Jazeera, explaining the decision. He was personally invited to northern Sweden from Dublin this year to experience the lengthy daylight and give advice.

Idris Abdulwhab, from Eritrea, follows the ECFR fatwa, which means his longest period of fasting will be 20 hours.

"Zero, 15, 25 or 45 hours, it doesn't matter as long as you believe in what you're doing," he said. "But we're human beings; of course it's hard sometimes."

One of those who has chosen to fast according to the local prayer times listed online is Fatima Kaniz. In a homely apartment overlooking mountains and mining facilities, she prepares a Pakistani fast-breaking dinner, or Iftar, for 8:30pm as the persistent sun penetrates the window blinds. Oil sizzles in a pan as she drops in pakoras, a vegetable snack made with chickpea flour.

She recalls her first day in Kiruna five years ago, in June.

"I waited for the sun to go down so I could pray maghreb," she said, referring to the sunset prayer. "I waited until 3am, until my Chinese roommate at the asylum centre found me and explained it was pointless to wait. I thought, 'What kind of strange place is this?'"

The fare of the day consists of the Pakistani Ramadan staples chapati and pakoras served with raita, with the addition of Swedish fish fingers and lentil stew.

During two-thirds of Ramadan, following the Kiruna prayer times means that Kaniz fasts for about 18 hours. But due to the sun's movements, she will fast for a whole 23 hours during one of those days.

"I live in Kiruna, and I pray according to Kiruna time all year round. Why should I change this during Ramadan and suddenly follow Stockholm?" she asked.

She followed the same system during four previous Ramadans - the last one also at the height of summer.

"Sometimes I got tired and took the bus home from work instead of walking, but otherwise, I felt fine," she said. "But I looked at the clock many times."

The weather in Kiruna varies widely during the summer months. Within a day, 25 degrees Celsius and sunshine can turn into 10 degrees and pouring rain.

December Ramadan: Perpetual darkness

When Ramadan falls in December, however, Muslims will face the opposite of midnight sun: polar night. For two weeks, the sun does not rise above the horizon.

"Why don't they come to me to ask about Ramadan then?" asks Halawa of the ECFR. He said a conference will be held later this year to issue a winter timetable for both fasting and prayers.

Muslim prayer times also follow the sun - which means that during winter, all five prayers can fall within a time span of two hours.

Abdulnasser Mohammed, of Somali origin, was new to Sweden and Kiruna the last time Ramadan fell under the Midwinter night, in 2000.

"There was no really established Islamic organization at the time, or information on the internet. I had to make up my own rules", he said. "I fasted for about five hours."

Mohammed, who is now the chairman of the Islamic association in Kiruna, follows the fasting times of Istanbul in the summer, since Turkey is the Muslim country closest to Sweden.

But he explains, in his view, everyone is free to choose.

"Islam isn't rigorous," he said. "Ramadan is not about starvation or about inflicting injury on yourself. People must choose what works for them."

Apart from the Syrians, who have fled the war in their homeland, Eritreans form the largest Muslim community in Kiruna.

Hawa Fidel and Alia Hassen host a plentiful Iftar at Stockholm's fast-breaking time, 10:10pm, in the apartment they share. They have prepared seating on the floor and filled trays with sponge-like injera flatbread, spicy beef stew, pastries, and other traditional Eritrean food.

The men chatting in the living room are already planning their next communal meal. They have set up a system to share the costs fairly, with participants paying different amounts depending on their incomes. Some have jobs. Others, whose applications for asylum have been rejected, get by on a monthly $200 grant provided by the government.

"Eating together with friends remind me of Eritrea," said Fidel, who is still waiting for permanent residency after living in Kiruna for three years. But she misses going to a mosque for tarawih, the special prayers at night during which long portions of the Quran are recited.  

The Muslim community in Kiruna is using a hall in an apartment block as a mosque, but so far it is only open for Friday prayers.

On the first Friday of Ramadan, as the rain trickled down, about 40 men and four women, including Fidel, gathered there at Stockholm's dhuhr prayer time.

Safwaan al-Taieb, who used to do the call to prayer in his neighborhood mosque in Syria's Deraa before he fled the country last year, recited a melodious adhan.

Al-Taieb's sister came with him to Sweden, but because she fasts according to Mecca timings and he Stockholm, they do not eat together.

Besides the rest of the family, he said the social nature of Syrian society is what he misses the most - during Ramadan and the rest of the year.

"In Syria, you don't eat only with your family. Everyone is welcome, we bring plates of food to our neighbors, we invite others. If you do that with Swedish people, they think you're crazy."

"Next Ramadan, God willing, I'll be back in Syria."

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/07/ramadan-sweden-with-no-dusk-no-dawn-20147614423642407.html.

Massive Al-Aqsa prayers on second Friday of Ramadan

Friday  19/07/2013

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Some 155,000 Muslims attended prayers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the second Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Israeli police said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP the prayers passed "without incident".

Last Friday's prayers at the site were participated by some 80,000 worshipers.

After the prayers on Friday, hundreds of Hamas supporters took part in a rally in favor of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi and against army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Demonstrators held posters with Mursi's picture and chanted "Morsi is the Egyptian president, Sisi is an American collaborator".

A similar demonstration took place last Friday at the site.

Mursi was ousted by the Egyptian army on July 3.

More than 3,000 Israeli police were deployed in the walled Old City, where the compound is located, and elsewhere in occupied East Jerusalem, police said.

Israeli authorities relaxed usual restrictions on entry to Jerusalem by Palestinians in the West Bank for the second week, enabling access to women of all ages and men over 40 years of age.

Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are usually barred from Israel and from East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Six-Day war and then unilaterally annexed.

The Al-Aqsa compound, which lies in Jerusalem's Old City, houses the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently break out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces.

Jews are not allowed to pray inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=615243.

Muslims Start Ramadan Fast Amid Turmoil

Wed, Jul 10, 2013

BEIRUT (AP) - Many devout Muslims in the Middle East have started observing the dawn-to-dusk fast for the month of Ramadan even as the region is rocked by Egypt's turmoil and the relentless civil war in Syria.

For most Sunnis and Shiites, Ramadan started on Wednesday while others are expected to begin observing the holy month on Thursday - differences based on various sightings of the new moon.

Nowhere is the hardship for this Ramadan starker than in Syria, where the civil war is now in its third year. The U.N. says at least 93,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted.

Syria's fragile currency has reached an all-time low while food and fuel prices are soaring. The U.N. says over 4 million Syrians risk going hungry because they can't afford food.

Source: KoloTV.
Link: http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Egypt-Ramadan-Begins-and-Military-Asks-for-Trust-214878791.html.

UAE project to help Pakistan provide aid during Ramadan

8 July 2013

In implementation of the directives of The President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the team overseeing implementation of the UAE’s project to help Pakistan, have announced an initiative to distribute 2,400 tons of food among 30,000 families in camps for people displaced by floods and military operations in Pakistan.

The move comes to mark the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadan. According to a statement made by the project team, the food assistance, worth over 1.5 million US dollars, will be distributed among displaced families in Jalozai Camp, which is considered the largest refugee camp in Pakistan and includes about 13,600 displaced families.

The team also stated that the distribution of food aid comes in implementation of the directives of the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to provide humanitarian and food aid for displaced Pakistanis to alleviate their suffering and difficult circumstances.

As part of the initiative, food parcels, each weighting 80 kilograms, will be distributed containing flour, rice, sugar, salt, lentils and tea, enough to sustain a single family for the whole month.

Source: Khaleej Times.
Link: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp?xfile=/data/community/2013/July/community_July17.xml&section=community.

Afghan Taliban vow attacks over Ramadan after being hacked

KABUL | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban promised on Friday to continue attacks over Ramadan, rejecting as a fake an insurgent email promising a halt in violence over the coming Muslim holy month and saying it was the work of government intelligence.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the message sent in his name promising a temporary cessation of violence with next week's start of Ramadan was the latest incident in a simmering cyber war between intelligence agencies and the insurgents.

"In that mail the enemy losers have tried to influence attacks by mujahideen fighters," Mujahid said. "We strongly reject sending any such email on a stoppage of operations."

Afghan spy agency the National Directorate of Security has increasingly targeted the Taliban's sophisticated messaging network, which includes websites and email accounts, social media and spokesmen using noms de guerre.

The Taliban use Afghanistan's improving phone network to distribute anti-government messages and use Twitter to claim largely improbable successes as most foreign combat troops look to leave the country by 2014.

The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist from 1996 to 2001, are seeking to overthrow the U.S.-backed government and end foreign occupation.

While Ramadan is usually a relatively quiet month for insurgent attacks marked mainly by the use of roadside bombs rather than direct assaults by armed fighters, Zabihullah said the month also carried extra religious significance for insurgents.

"During the holy month of Ramadan, jihad has major rewards. And mujahideen will continue to employ all their fighting techniques to mount attacks on the enemy," he said.

Taliban fighters in 2011 used car bombs to attack a British government cultural center in the Afghan capital over the Ramadan period, killing almost a dozen people.

This year the militants have stepped up attacks ahead of the Afghan summer months. Insurgents including a suicide bomber attacked a foreign logistics and supply company last week in Kabul, the latest in a string of daring assaults in the capital.

Kabul's police chief General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said on Friday that security forces had arrested three people in a night raid and seized five suicide bomb vests.

(Reporting by Rob Taylor and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-afghanistan-taliban-idUSBRE9640DT20130705.

Ramadan fast-dodgers indulge in secret

By DIAA HADID | Associated Press
Fri, Aug 10, 2012

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Alongside hundreds of millions of Muslims observing the sunrise-to-sundown fast of Ramadan, a minority in the community goes underground each year during the holy month, sneaking sandwiches and cigarettes when no one is looking.

They include Muslims ambivalent about their faith or outright atheists, nicotine addicts too hooked to quit for 15 hours straight or those who simply don't want to deal with a day of being hungry.

The Ramadan dodgers indulge in secret — mostly to avoid offending those who are fasting or to avoid embarrassment. Community pressure is powerful. Many say they don't break the rules openly because they fear the disapproval of wives, neighbors and colleagues, or want to set a good example for their children.

"I tried to fast, but it's pointless. I need to smoke," said Ahmed, a 28-year-old electrician, puffing on a cigarette at midday in the privacy of a windowless office in an industrial park in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He said he didn't want his fiancee or his mother to know he wasn't fasting. "I'm saving myself a headache," he said, laughing.

In some places, authorities enforce adherence.

Saudi Arabia threatens to expel even non-Muslim expatriates seen violating Ramadan. In Muslim-majority Malaysia, officials randomly inspect restaurants and parks and nab hundreds of Muslims every year among those eating or drinking. Usually it means a fine amounting to around $300, but repeat offenders in some states can get a year in prison.

Still, the potential chiding from friends and family generally is reason enough to lay low.
In Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, marketing executive Amri said he eats in his car while heading to or from work and hides a water bottle in a work bag for secret sips at the office. He's an atheist but in the eyes of the law and society, he's Muslim.

"I'm sure some of my colleagues also don't always fast, but it's something that nobody wants to admit. Half of it is the fear of being caught by (the authorities), half of it is the fear that people will look at you negatively," he said.

Ahmed, Amri and others who acknowledged violating Ramadan spoke with The Associated Press on condition that their full names not be used, another sign of the taboo's power.

During Ramadan, healthy Muslims must abstain from food, drink and cigarettes during daylight hours. The elderly, the very young, the sick as well as menstruating and nursing women are not required to fast.

Ramadan is typically a joyous time. Families gather for meals at night and sit together to watch the season's best soap operas. People pray more. There's a spirit of warmth, a break from routine. For the observant, fasting is a reminder of the deprivations of the poor. It also brings a sense of community, so even many who don't consider themselves religious or slide on daily prayers throughout the year join in.

But it's not for everyone.

"I don't believe in fasting," said a 59-year-old Palestinian-American supermarket owner from Los Angeles. Raised near Jerusalem in a devout Muslim family, he let go of his faith after moving to the U.S. decades ago.

On a recent trip back, he was reprimanded by his more devout son, 32-year-old Basil, when he unthinkingly ate cake in their car while in a traffic jam of Muslim fasters near Ramallah.

"Basil smacks my hand. He says, Dad, Dad, what are you doing? You can't do that! Look at the people looking at us!" he recalled.

"I had something in my mouth. I stopped chewing it out of fear. People were looking at me," he said.

Chain-smoking Palestinian truck driver, Raed, 32, keeps his non-fasting secret from his four children, having his morning coffee and cigarette while they are sleeping.

At the same time, he pays his sons, ages 6 and 11, a dollar for every day they fast.

"I want them to be better than me," he said, sipping thick black Turkish coffee in an industrial district near Ramallah.

Raed said he doesn't fast because his job is too difficult.

"That's empty talk," countered his wife Nahla, 29. "It's the cigarettes that are killing him."
Ramadan violators are expected to pray for forgiveness, fast to make up for lost days and give charity in recompense.

Religious observance in general has increased dramatically since the 1970s in the Arab world and other parts of the Muslim world, as political Islam rose to prominence and secular nationalist and leftist ideologies faded from the scene.

The rise of Islamic political parties in the region in the wake of last year's Arab Spring protests is likely to reinforce this trend, said Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Doha Center, a think tank.

The intensity of Ramadan coercion varies.

Most widespread is the closing of restaurants during daylight hours. Alcohol, which is forbidden in Islam no matter what month it is, often disappears during the holy month.

In Ramallah, where devout and secular live side-by-side, some cafes leave their doors coyly half open, a sign that it's business as usual. One restaurant offers free soup for Muslims wishing to break their fast after sundown. Other customers can order booze. Police allow restaurants to operate normally in areas with a strong Christian minority and foreigners, such as biblical Bethlehem.

Almost all bars in Egypt shut down or stop serving booze. City bylaws in Jakarta, capital of world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, prohibit nightclubs, bars and massage parlors from operating.

In contrast, restaurants serving alcohol operate normally in Lebanon, with its large Christian minority.

And then there are the places where authorities take action.

In West Bank areas under the Palestinian self-rule government, police have detained 10 people for violating the fast in public, said police spokesman Mansour Khazamiyeh. Violators are generally jailed until Ramadan's end. It's also an offense in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Palestinian Islamic group Hamas, but police spokesman Ayman Batniji said nobody has been arrested yet.

Egyptian Islamic clerics issued a religious ruling demanding that the government ban public eating in Ramadan, even for the 10 percent Christian minority. Similar requests were made in the past before the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power in Egypt this year, but so far the Arab world's most populous country doesn't enforce the fast.

Anyway, the biggest punishment for some is the guilt.

Abdul-Latif, a 45-year-old Afghan shopkeeper in Kabul, said he and his buddies sneaked some cigarettes — but he didn't feel good about it.

"It would be such a shame if my family knew," he said. "It's also shameful for me. When it becomes time to eat at night, everyone else enjoys it more than me. I know about my shame."

___

With additional reporting by Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza, Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, Salah Sinan in Baghdad, Aya Batrawi in Cairo, Heidi Vogt and Amir Shah in Kabul, Sean Yoong in Kuala Lumpur and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta.

1,000 convert to Islam in Kuwait during Ramadan

8/28/2011

Up to 1,000 male and female expatriates have converted to Islam since start of the holy month of Ramadan, said the Director General of the Islamic Presentation Committee on Sunday.

Jamal Al-Shatti, in a statement to KUNA, said the conversion of this large number of people to Islam "was a dream that has come true.

"We have exerted tremendous efforts to make this dream turn into reality, and this has been accomplished as a result of the support of the natives of Kuwait." The committee offers a variety of religious educational services for new advocates of Islam; such as religious and Arabic language curricula.

The Kuwaiti authority seeks to promote Islam through dialogue, persuasion and logic.
The committee has succeeded in persuading up to 53,000 non-Muslims to convert to the religion since its launch in 1978.

Al-Shatti urged all nationals to support the committee.

Source: Indians in Kuwait.
Link: http://www.indiansinkuwait.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=12513&SECTION=0.

Maghreb faithful celebrate Ramadan

From cultural celebrations to prayers, people across the Maghreb are commemorating the holy month.

By Fidet Mansour in Algiers and Imrane Binoual in Casablanca for Magharebia – 26/08/11

On a hot August night in the Algiers neighborhood of Bab El Oued, worshipers finish Al-Ishaa and head to Atlas Hall to see Lounis Ait Menguellet sing of Amazigh culture, love of his homeland and the hopes of an entire nation.

In 1990, opposition from extremists forced Linda de Suza to cancel a concert here. Twenty-one years later, the atmosphere for this August 13th Ramadan concert is totally different. Ait Menguellet will perform before a capacity audience. None of the spectators will be disturbed.

It is more than one show, one city or one venue. The same thing is happening all over Algeria. Ramadan evenings are once again a time for cultural activity.

To provide a broad range of recreational options, Algerian radio launched an innovative program this year: "the medina", a culture and arts village open from 9pm to 3am. The Medina boasts a 5,000-seat theater, a kheima (tent), an open-air cinema, a beach soccer pitch, a beach volleyball court, a bookshop, an art gallery, an internet area, a video games and snooker area, an ice-rink, restaurants, even toboggans and trampolines for children.

"I must say, the atmosphere in this village is overwhelming for us. There's something for everyone and especially for people of all ages," says Karim Maghni, an Algerian who returned from the US to his homeland for Ramadan. He brought his young family to see the medina.

The fun extends past Algiers. From music in Annaba's music festival to theater in Kabylie, the country is alive with cultural events.

Despite the evening fare, the days are still very long, complains teacher Kheir Eddine. "During the holy month, you're virtually forced to stay at home."

Since many Algerians struggle to while away the swelteringly hot days, state television is broadcasting special programs for Ramadan. Audiences are large, even though "the programs don't live up to our expectations", says Zohra, a student. This year, the main talking-points are Libya, Yemen and the trial of Hosni Mubarak.

After iftar, however, Algiers becomes a city that never sleeps.

Even older Algerians stay up. Under a full moon, on the terraces of the Kasbah and in living rooms, they recite short poems.

"We recite boqala until dawn around a table laden with traditional cakes and tea," says Soltana, who is in her seventies. "Our daughters and granddaughters focus on the television and internet instead of keeping up these traditions, which are part of our national heritage."

Moroccans mark Laylat al Qadr

Laawachir, the last ten days of Ramadan, is always a festive time in the Maghreb, but Friday (August 26th), is particularly special.

The eve of the 27th day of Ramadan is Laylat al Qadr (the Night of Destiny, when, according to Muslim belief, the gates of Heaven open). It is said that wishes made sincerely can be granted. This is why many men and women pray twice as much as usual on this holy night, spend as much time as they can reading the Qur'an and increase the amount of zakat (charity) they give away.

In Casablanca, people flock to mosques to recite ichae and tarawih prayers until dawn.

"To sustain worshipers during this long night, volunteers bring plates of couscous that are served during breaks. This is something I have done ever since I was young," says Haj Mohamed, who is in his sixties. "Worshipers also like to visit different mosques in order to stop fatigue setting in and gain the greatest possible ajr (reward)."

Children fasting for the first time also choose the eve of the 27th of Ramadan so that they can be spoiled by their parents. They are served a well-garnished ftour.

"The event is celebrated with one's family. For girls, we bring out nakacha to decorate the hands of young fasters with henna. They are also given pretty kaftans to wear," Malika Mrizak, who has three children, tells Magharebia.

With Eid just around the corner, housewives across the region bake cakes, family heads buy corn to give away as zakat and every kissariat (a kind of shopping area) becomes a hive of activity.

Tailors and sellers of beldi djellabas are inundated with customers who come to try on or buy clothes. The last week of Ramadan is a lucrative time for bakers and cake shops. For Eid, families must have cakes, msaman and baghrir ready for guests who come to wish them "mabrouk laawachir" (happy festival), so they need to stock up.

In the run-up to Eid, family heads gather items to give away as zakat al-fitr. Many go to agricultural markets to buy corn. Just after adan al-fajr, beggars, neighbors and local poor people ask for zakat. They bring a cart in which they take away the goods they receive. Even the nafar (a kind of town crier who wakes people up before dawn) comes knocking on doors on the Night of Destiny to receive zakat.

People also take time to remember relatives who have passed away.

They buy rose water from guerrabas to sprinkle on the tombs they visit, and lay flowers in remembrance. At cemeteries, traders see a surge in business during laawachir (the last ten days of Ramadan), selling dried figs, flowers and clay objects to decorate graves, and beggars come to benefit from the kindness of visitors.

Tolbas offer their services to those who want to read the Qur'an beside a grave. Because of the rise in demand during laawachir, tolbas come from small towns and rural areas to make money. They sleep outside cemeteries and await customers.

Sorcerers also take advantage of the last ten days of Ramadan to indulge in mystic practices many find questionable. "Some mouchaawidine bring a rotten egg that they bury in holes close to graves," one cemetery warden tells Magharebia. "Others bring photos that they wrap up in pieces of tissue and throw away in the cemetery."

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2011/08/26/reportage-01.

Ramadan Curbs Follow Violence

2011-08-04

China curtails religious practices in Xinjiang during a Muslim holy month.

China is placing restrictions on its Muslim Uyghur population during the fasting month of Ramadan, following a string of violent attacks in its northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, said Ramadan, which runs roughly from Aug. 1-30 this year, has brought a fresh clampdown on Muslims in the wake of violent attacks in the Silk Road cities of Kashgar and Hotan.

The group has said that more than 100 Uyghurs were detained in the wake of an attack on a market in Kashgar last weekend. Most of those detained as suspects were committed Muslims who attended mosque and whose wives wore veils, residents say.

Raxit said the chief restriction lies in a ban on mosques from advertising Ramadan-linked events or in encouraging people to observe the month-long fast.

"If any religious figure discusses Ramadan during the course of religious activities, or encourages people to take part, then they will lose their license to practice," Raxit said.

"The more serious cases will result in arrests for incitement to engage in illegal religious activity," he said.

Ramadan restrictions

During Ramadan, Muslims who are able should take no food, water, or cigarettes during daylight hours. Restaurants in Muslim countries close during the day, re-opening to break the fast after sunset.

However, government campaigns in previous years have forced restaurants to stay open, and required Uyghur government cadres throughout Xinjiang to sign “letters of responsibility” promising to avoid fasting, evening prayers, or other religious activities.

Officials have also targeted Muslim schoolchildren, providing them with free lunches during the fasting period.

Raxit said similar restrictions were in place for government cadres, who risk losing pensions and other benefits. Private companies are offering lunches to Uyghur Muslims, and any who refuse to eat could lose their annual bonus, or even their job, he added.

According to the Beijing-based Uyghur Online website, the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) has announced a ban on any religious activities during the Muslim holy month.

The restrictions were being imposed "to preserve social stability," the website reported.

An employee who answered the phone at a local government neighborhood committee office in the regional capital Urumqi, which saw deadly ethnic rioting in July 2009, confirmed the restrictions.

"Fasting during Ramadan is a traditional ethnic custom, and they are allowed to do that," she said. "But they aren't allowed to hold any religious activities during Ramadan."

And she added: "Party members are not allowed to fast for Ramadan, and neither are civil servants."

Mosque guidelines

An employee who answered the phone at a mosque in Urumqi said people from out of town are banned from attending mosques in Urumqi for prayers during August.

Everyone attending prayers has to register with their national identity card, he added.

"They have to register," he said. "[After prayers] they aren't allowed to [congregate and] talk to each other."

Foreigners have been barred from entering mosques in the region, mosque officials said.

A Uyghur resident of Beijing said students under 18 are forbidden from fasting during Ramadan.

And an employee who answered the phone at a Muslim restaurant in Urumqi said it would remain open all month.

Kashgar prefecture Communist Party chief Cheng Zhenshan vowed to fight "separatists," "religious extremists," and "terrorists" with "iron fists," following the weekend violence in the Silk Road city that left at least 14 people dead and 40 others injured.

The attacks in Kashgar and those in the nearby city of Hotan two weeks ago in which 20 people were killed are the bloodiest violence in a year in Xinjiang, where Muslim Uyghurs chafe under Chinese rule.

Deadly riots in Xinjiang's regional capital of Urumqi left at least 200 dead in July 2009 following clashes between Han Chinese and Uyghurs.

Chinese commentators say the slew of recent attacks in Xinjiang show that Beijing's policy on ethnic minorities has gone badly wrong.

Source: Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Link: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/ramadan-08042011113617.html.

Difficult Ramadan for Libyan refugees in Tunisia

Forced from their homeland by Kadhafi's battalions, Libyan refugees in Tunisia are struggling to find peace during the holy month.

By Monia Ghanmi for Magharebia in Tunis – 16/08/11

Libyans in Tunisia have little to celebrate this Ramadan. Thousands of stranded refugees are being forced to spend the holy month away from home, as the war enters into its seventh month.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it planned to distribute free Ramadan meals to more than 55,000 Libyan refugees, including 11,000 families, in the Tunisian wilayas of Medenine, Tataouine, Kebili and Sfax.

The food consists of basic items such as cooking oil, milk, eggs, cheese, and dough-based products along with vegetables or dates, according to UNHCR representative Maness Ghanem. He explained that the aid organization would provide support to Tunisian families hosting Libyan refugees, helping them deal with the costs of electricity and water. The UN official added that some 800 families from Tataouine wilaya have already benefited from assistance.

Despite efforts to aid the displaced families, some Libyans in Tunisia have criticized the level of assistance. Libyans interviewed by Magharebia said that the food provided could not restore the Ramadan atmosphere from Libya before the revolution.

"I only obtained several kilograms of dates, a few liters of oil and a little rice and macaroni," Younis Abd Allah Assayar said, adding that it was not enough for his three-member family.

He said that he felt bitterness and anguish when he saw his iftar table missing fruit, milk, honey and Libyan sweets associated with Ramadan. He said he has not received his pension in four months and must rely on aid organizations to provide for his family's needs.

Libyan Jannet Mediane, who fled the village of Al Majabira, said that despite her new friendships in Tunisia, she was struggling to create a Ramadan air similar to that in her homeland.

She added that what she missed most about her home was "the dish bazin, the foremost popular food in Libya and the main meal in the month of Ramadan, which the iftar table cannot be without for Libyans".

"I discovered that the customs of Tunisian society are no different from what exists in Libya, but in truth, I found it difficult to cope with some of the meals provided to us, yet we thank God," she said.

Normally, the Libyan Ramadan table is filled of many types of dishes, including bazin, couscous and boric. But this year, refugees are forced to mark the holy month not at home but in temporary shelters or with host families across southern Tunisia.

"It is true that Ramadan this year is very different from others and we are suffering, but we must be patient and call for victory for the rebels during this holy month until we get rid of the tyrant and return to our homes safe and sound," said Abid Arifi.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/16/feature-03.

'Rahma' restaurants help needy Algerians during Ramadan

Free meals, food baskets and financial support are being handed out to poor families across Algeria as part of holy month celebrations.

By Lyes Aflou for Magharebia in Algiers – 15/08/11

Many needy Algerian families rely on the generosity of the state and private individuals for food during the holy month of Ramadan. Free meals, home-delivered food baskets and financial support are the primary forms of help.

According to the Ministry of Solidarity, nearly 1.5 million needy families will benefit from the food donations. Disadvantaged families and individuals with special needs, such as the disabled, receive baskets containing vegetables, fruit and dairy products necessary for a balanced diet.

More than five million meals are also being served at some 691 "rahma" (mercy) restaurants across the country. Roughly 13,000 volunteers have been recruited to help with the task. The Algerian Red Crescent, the Muslim Scouts and charities are all involved in running and funding the restaurants. Health inspection committees are monitoring the restaurants to prevent any outbreak of food poisoning.

A national committee with provincial and commune-level offices has been set up to organize the solidarity effort.

In Algiers alone, more than 27,000 food baskets and more than 90,000 envelopes containing money were distributed within the first nine days of the month, Radia Benmiloud, head of the Department for Social Action said August 10th.

Benmiloud stated that the baskets, which contain food between 6,000 and 9,000 dinars in value, include basic essentials such as couscous, flour, sugar, coffee, rice, dried vegetables and oil.

"The work of the national solidarity sector and the province and communes of Algiers has been co-ordinated with the contributions of benefactors in order to ensure that this expression of collective generosity will be successful," she said.

As for the direct financial support, she said: "Money orders of between 6,000 and 10,000 dinars, according to the funds available within each commune, were given after the individual needs of certain needy families had been examined".

In Algiers alone, nearly 190,000 eat-in meals and 57,730 take-away meals have been served, Benmiloud said. Homeless people, travelers passing through Algiers and those who are apart from their loved ones and cannot afford a substantial meal are able to visit any of 143 free restaurants.

Mokrane, who is unemployed, visited a "rahma restaurant" on Rue Larbi Ben M'hidi in central Algiers. Although the meals, which consist of a starter, a main course and a dessert, are free, the way in which they are served left something to be desired, in his opinion.

"In order to serve everyone, over a hundred people, the staff must sometimes serve the meals more than an hour before the fast ends. As a result, the meals are cold and lose their flavor," he told Magharebia.

Hamid, a waiter, told Magharebia that was to be expected "given the large number of diners who queue up before the restaurant opens, if you want to eat when the muezzin calls".

"We don't need to serve up haute cuisine," said Salah, another diner. "The food is given to us free of charge and it's just as good as what you could have at home if your financial situation was better than ours."

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/15/feature-03.

Guetna, Ramadan bring rare economic opportunities in Mauritania

Many Mauritanians are finding jobs during this year's date harvesting season, earning additional income from the popular iftar snack.

By Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 10/08/11

In a rare coincidence, Mauritania's date harvesting season, or Guetna, coincides with Ramadan this year, offering new economic opportunities for the nation's unemployed youth.

Mauritanians used to depend on canned dates imported from Tunisia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia in past years. But with Guenta occurring during Ramadan this year, the increased demand created by the holy month is leading to new jobs for Mauritanians.

"Like other young people in rural areas, I have benefited from Guetna season," Mbark Ould Mohamed told Magharebia. "I started my business in trading in dates weeks ago. I transport dates from the oases in the north to capital Nouakchott, where I sell them."

Ould Mohamed said that "there is high popular demand for the dates because of the advent of Ramadan; something that made some unemployed people, mainly holders of university certificates and students, go for trading in dates in view of the profits that can be generated from such a trade."

The benefits of the Guetna season are seen by urban Mauritanians as well. Hundreds of young people in cities now buy dates from rural distributors and then market them in their own way.

"I signed a marketing agreement a few months ago with some owners of oases in remote areas who can't go to cities to market and sell their products of dates because they are busy," Mohamed Val Ould Bekren, a man in his 30s, told Magharebia. "I've hired a lot of young people to work with me in this business. Thank God, we've managed to make considerable profits, and the process is still ongoing."

Mohamed Ould Bahiye, a man in his 50s who works in the tourist sector, told Magharebia that while Mauritanian dates were of a high quality, the country lacked the factories to can and preserve them for longer periods.

"Therefore, the Guetna season is the only period in which these dates can be used. Now that Ramadan doesn't often coincide with Guetna season, Mauritanians resort to imported dates," he said, adding that "it seems that this year is an exception. There is no doubt that the fact that the Guetna season coincided with Ramadan will revive the national economy."

For his part, environmental specialist Bedder Eddine Ould Salem said: "Mauritania has about 7 million date palm trees in the northern and eastern parts of the country. They annually produce hundreds of thousands of tons of different species of dates; something that makes Mauritania's 4 million people self-sufficient, but only during the Guetna season."

"We should also take into consideration that large quantities of these dates are wasted every year because of insects and birds, and also because of the lack of refrigeration and preservation equipment that can preserve dates for longer periods of time," Ould Salem said.

"There are no companies working in the field of date palm trees oases," he added. "Most of the oases are owned by families that inherit them from generation to another away from state control."

The increase in opportunities in the date industry in Mauritania may well assuage the country's unemployment problem for a time.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/10/feature-04.

Egypt military police disrupt Ramadan celebration

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) — Egyptian military police forcefully broke up a gathering held in downtown Cairo to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Al-Ahram state-owned newspaper reported on Saturday.

Tens of people on Friday responded to an open invitation to have an iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daytime fast during Ramadan, in Tahrir Square with no intention to stage a sit-in or to protest. However, they were forced to move the celebration in front of the Omar Makram Mosque since security forces have been heavily present in the square.

“We took our food and headed towards Omar Makram after security personnel prevented us from staying in the square. We had our breakfast and everything was normal for a while,” Activist Salma Said told Tahrir TV.

She said that the military police then forced people out after they started chanting some pro-revolution slogans. “But the military police beat us up viciously; I was even kicked in the back in the process. An 11-year-old kid and his sister were beaten too. They were merciless. Another girl were beaten badly and her veil was taken off,” Said added.

Said deplored the “unnecessary use of force”, saying protesters will once again stage a sit-in that will last until the revolution’s as yet unmet demands are fulfilled, according to the newspaper.

Last Monday, hundreds of military police and central security forces stormed Tahrir square to end a three-week old sit-in, beating and arresting hundreds of people.

Several small groups refused to leave the square after 26 major political groups decided on Sunday to halt their sit-in during Ramadan. The sit-in was launched on July 8 to protest that the demands of the revolution have not been met.

Among the protesters’ demands are the immediate release of all civilians who have been sentenced by military courts and their retrial before civilian courts. They are also asking for the prosecution of those implicated in the killing of protesters during the January 25 Revolution.

According to Amnesty International, at least 840 people were killed and over 6,000 people were injured in the violent repression that took place during the January uprising.

Ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt in a 30-year-long regime, stepped down after the uprising. He appeared in court on August 3 facing charges of ordering the killing of peaceful protesters during the uprising.

Former Interior Minister Habib Ibrahim al-Adly and six other former senior officials also face charges over the deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters. If convicted, they face possible death sentences.

The trial of Mubarak and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, will resume on August 15.

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19311/egypt-military-police-disrupt-ramadan-celebration/.

Libya: UN Distributes Ramadan Meals to 55,000 Refugees in Tunisia

3 August 2011

The United Nations refugee agency and its partners in Tunisia are distributing food for more than 55,000 Libyans who have fled the fighting in their homeland to help them prepare their evening meals during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

The logistics of the operation have gone very smoothly thanks to cooperation between all those involved, including the Government, Nasir Abel Fernandes, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) senior emergency coordinator in southern Tunisia, said today.

Some 400 staff from UNHCR and other local and international organizations, including the World Food Program (WFP), have helped pack, transport and distribute the food at more than 34 distribution points across southern Tunisia.

Well over half a million people, including migrant workers, refugees and asylum-seekers, have fled to Tunisia since fighting erupted in February between a pro-democracy movement and the four-decades-old regime of Muammar al-Qadhafi.

Most of the Libyans have few resources and are happy to receive the food. "This donation will be a great help in cutting down family expenses during Ramadan," said 72-year-old Ali as he queued for his food package in UNHCR's Al Khayr distribution center in the town of Tataouine.

Ali, who fled to Tunisia in April with a large group of relatives, said Ramadan was very important to him and his family. "Ramadan is an occasion for family reunions," he said, adding sadly: "Although the Tunisians are being very generous, we are finding it difficult to feel at home because our community network has been disrupted."

Fifteen items, including rice, pasta, couscous, oil, tomato paste, tuna, sugar and dates, are being handed out in five southern Tunisian provinces, where tens of thousands of Libyans are staying in camps or living with host families. The food will be eaten during iftar, the evening meal. During Ramadan, which started on Monday, Muslims are forbidden to eat or drink during daylight hours.

Other organizations taking part in the operation are the Tunisian Red Crescent, the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent, Islamic Relief, Al Tawoon, Secours Islamique France, Secours Populaire Français, Wafa Relief and the Libyan Relief Committee.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201108031317.html.