No food or drink until after dark for a month. That much most non-Muslims know. And no sex either. But did you know that devoted Muslims aren’t allowed to have arguments during Ramadan – no matter how hungry and irritable they feel? And did you know Ramadan is big business?
What is Ramadan? (article continues below)
1) Ramadan is… big business
There’s plenty of money to be made during Ramadan. It’s true that productivity in the Muslim world drops and the civil service comes to a virtual standstill. But it’s also a time to splash out.
In Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, three billion euros are spent on food and drink, and in Egypt as much as four billion. But then in the first week of Ramadan alone, 40 million chickens, 2.7 billion and ten million kilos of fava beans fly over Egyptian counters. Not to mention shiploads of New Zealand lamb. Arabic TV stations make 30 percent of their advertising revenue because Muslim families spend so much time around the television in the evening as they break the fast with the iftar meal.
Fast food chains have special ‘after-sunset’ offers. The halal telephone application iPray rings five times a day at prayer time, and with the FindMecca compass, you can be sure you’ve got your prayer mat facing the right way.
It might be a month for frugality, but the average Muslim family forks out double a month’s income during Ramadan. Even the stock markets in countries such as Turkey, Oman and Kuwait soar. Between 1989 and 2007, the markets in 14 Muslim countries made average gains of 38 percent during Ramadan compared to 4.3 percent in the rest of the year, according to research by the University of New Hampshire.
2) Ramadan is… looking towards Mecca
As a good Muslim, once in your life you should make the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca – it’s a massive boost for the Saudi tourist industry. But after oil, Ramadan is Saudi Arabia’s biggest cultural and religious export product. Muslims all over the world who can’t make the pilgrimage still direct their gaze to Mecca.
And migrant workers who’ve made their money in Saudi Arabia take Saudi values about women, education and religious practices back home with them when they leave. The Saudis also finance a worldwide network of mosques that preach Saudi conservative values.
If you’re caught snacking before sundown during Ramadan in Aceh, Indonesia, the authorities will try to convince you of the error of your ways with a flogging. And nowadays, it’s even an offence in secular Egypt.
3) Ramadan is… a time of peace?
Ramadan is often seen as a time for peace and ceasefires. But Muhammad waged the first great Muslim war against the infidels of Mecca in 624 during Ramadan. And the joint attack on Israel by Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 1973, the Yom Kippur war, took place during Ramadan – because it was the last thing Israel would be expecting.
Sometimes Ramadan gets in the way of military strategy, such as when the Americans and Afghans were hunting Osama Bin Laden at Tora Bora. Many Afghan soldiers stopped the search when it was time to go home to break the fast.
4) Ramadan is… everywhere
Forty-five million Muslims live and work in Western countries, and that makes fasting particularly tough. Hungry Muslims find themselves surrounded by fresh and well-fed colleagues who are allowed to eat and drink all they want.
And if you live in Iceland or northern Scandinavia, the sun barely goes down during Ramadan. Luckily, Muslims in the far north are allowed to stick to ‘Mecca time’.
Read tips on how to survive Ramadan here and tasty Ramadan recipes here.
5) Ramadan is… propaganda
Many non-religious dictators in the Middle East have used Ramadan for political propaganda purposes. Tough rulers from Damascus to Algiers have released prisoners during Ramadan, like the Stalinist dictator Turkmenbashi, who in 2005 let more than 8000 convicts out of jail.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, surrounded by his team of female bodyguards, garnered respect in the Muslim world when he refused to shake the hand of former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice because it was Ramadan.
And finally, a Ramadan tip for non-Muslims: how do you greet your Muslim neighbour as she passes by looking rather pale and grumpy? A cheerful ‘Ramadan Mubarak!’ (Happy Ramadan) is sure to bring a smile to her face.
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Although reduced productivity in during the month of Ramadan may be a predictable fact for many predominantly Muslim countries, a new study shows their stock markets rise surprisingly, highlighting charity as a significant factor in global economy.
The myth of Ramadan’s low productivity
It certainly would not hurt to learn about Islam as much as possible. Those affected by "Islamophobia", like Gert Wilders, should pay special attention and perhaps learn something - like tolerance.
Tolerance! Tolerance is the cause of the terrorism , today. If a gang of criminals are terrorizing your neighbourhood on a daily basis, do you and your neighbours just standby and tell each other to be tolerant of the criminals or do you yell for help from from your government to stop the criminals? The neighbours who do stand-up and condeme the criminals, do you call them "Gangphobia"?
Are you going to publish similar articles about holy days of other religions or is this simply subliminal messaging to promote islam?
I like your question, Pieter J. Janssen. But Islam is the only religion pampered by RNW. Never ever read about other holy days of other religions on RNW. Will RNW reply or just ignore your question? I am waiting for their 'reply.'
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