Local Muslims mark start of Ramadan

Last week, Athlone-based Muslims joined their counterparts around the world by starting their fast for Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan, which began on Wednesday, August 11, sees most Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and other activities from dawn until sunset each day. This period also involves undertaking additional prayer, reflection and good deeds. In Athlone, a gathering of approximately 40 Muslims was held at the Community Hall in Monksland last Saturday night for a fast-breaking celebration, known as Iftar. This gathering is scheduled to be held on a weekly basis in Monksland for the duration of Ramadan. Monksland resident Aisha Chaudhry is a native of Pakistan, as is her husband Muhammad Latif, the proprietor of the Charcoal Grill restaurant at Payne's Lane in Athlone. She moved to Ireland following their marriage in 2002, and has been based in the Monksland area for several years. Speaking about Ramadan Aisha explained that Muslims are expected to start observing the fasting ritual once they reach puberty, as long as they are healthy. "Basically Ramadan is a good way of teaching us to practice self-sacrifice and self-control," she explained. "It's a time when we give to charity and have motivation to do more good deeds. "It's a month when Muslims pray a lot more than normal and recite our Holy book more than normal. "We try to prohibit ourselves from committing sins, even in the words that we use. We try to train ourselves to be very good people." The fasting period consists of daylight hours during the month of Ramadan. "There's no sexual activities, no drinking and no eating during that fasting period. But afterwards you are free to do so. You can do anything, whatever you like," Aisha stated. In her native Pakistan, she estimated that 99% of people who have passed the puberty stage observe Ramadan. "It's a very religious thing and Muslims respect it so much. Only people who have disabilities, elderly people, pregnant women or women who are feeding their child are not entitled to have Ramadan. The rest of the people are," said Aisha. Does she find the fasting difficult? "No, not at all," she replied. "It's really good practice for people who want to control themselves. Diabetic patients or blood pressure patients often observe good, significant changes during the month of Ramadan because they control their diet and, in the night time when they open the fast, they don't eat a huge amount. "This year I am trying to lose some weight and eat healthy when I open my fast. "Scientifically it is proven that Ramadan is actually a very good month to allow your body's metabolism recharge and start again. The body is used to eating a lot of food, and our stomachs need a holiday as well!" She stated that fasting was not a problem for her husband, either, despite the fact that his role at Charcoal Grill revolves around food. Another feature of Ramadan is Zakat, an Islamic charity system which mandates each person to give 2.5% of their income and personal wealth to the poor or needy. This year the majority of that money will go to victims of the recent flooding in Pakistan. The month ends with a huge celebration called Eid Ul Fitr. "It's the biggest celebration in the Muslim world. Normally people go for prayer in the morning and after that they come to the homes, visit their relatives, and a big feast is served at lunch time or dinner time." Aisha helped organise last weekend's gathering of local Muslims in Monksland and she hopes this weekly event during Ramadan will help strengthen ties among the Islamic community in this area. "Last year we held some gatherings at people's houses but they were not big enough to properly accommodate 40 people. There was no space. "I asked people at the Monksland Community Hall (if it could be used for the gathering) and they were so helpful. They said 'yes, why not' and they made it available to us free of charge, so it's brilliant. "A lot of Muslims in the Athlone area are working in Ericsson. They are well-educated and well-settled here. They are here for the long term, so I think we can make a good community here in Athlone," she concluded.