CAIRO: The cafes are empty. The televisions are all tuned to religious channels. It is Ramadan once again. The 30 days of fasting that mark the Islamic holy month are a time of discipline, study and faith, but across Egypt, it is also a festive time, with streets decorated and family and friends coming together daily for banquets of food to break their sunrise to sunset fast. Ahmed Ramadan is a local waiter in the upscale Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo and he feels the strain of expectations for the month of fasting has become more in your face in recent years as a result of the spread of Saudi religiosity. “In the past, Ramadan was a very personal thing where people would either fast or not on their own,” he begins, handing a check to the cashier for one of the two patrons at the café on Wednesday morning. “But today, people are watching you and in a way making sure you are fasting. It isn't right.” Last year, police in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan arrested a number of citizens who publicly broke their fast. This led to widespread condemnation by human rights groups who argued maintaining one's fast was not the responsibility of the state. Police in the area argued the citizens had “corrupted society” and their actions would destabilize the city during the holy month. Even religious scholars and sheikhs lament the state of Ramadan in Egypt. They say that many Gulf Arabs came to Egypt in order to move away from the strict regulations during the holy month in their own countries, but today, Egypt has seemingly followed the Gulf tradition of forcing fasting upon its population. “Unlike years past, the fast was a personal journey for individuals to find their faith, read the Qur'an and have time with their families and friends,” began Gamal al-Banna, a liberal Islamic scholar who has come under fire in recent years for his ‘liberal' views. He argued that Egypt has “lost its tolerant side as a result of the religious conservatism rising from the Gulf.” Al-Banna recollects how Egypt used to be a place of joy during Ramadan, “but in the past decade or so, the rise in this forced religious nature has left many Egyptians angered and frustrated. I get asked what can be done and I keep saying that religion is not for the state to impose, but it is being done today by the police and religious leaders.” This does not mean Ramadan is not a special time for Egypt and Egyptians. Ramadan says it is one of the few periods in the year where he gets more time off to spend outside work with friends and family. He said the owners of the café are “more giving” and willing to “allow me time off to see my family at specific times to break the fast.” Lights and dozens of daily activities are representative of Ramadan in Egypt. Many argue it is the most exciting place in the Islamic world to be during the holy month. “There is so much going on that it is a lot of fun, even for us non-Muslims,” said Egyptian-American Colin Howard. This is his third Ramadan in Egypt. He loves the atmosphere. “Maybe I don't understand it all, but I see people are doing the same thing, almost as a unit. It is full of peace and love and I believe it is one of the few times in the world where societies truly come together,” he added. On Tuesday evening, the call to suhour, the meal taken before sunrise, raised some eyebrows among the Coptic residents on a side street in local neighborhood of Cairo. They demanded the man end his shouting of the names of God so “people can sleep.” The issue, for the nearly 10 million Christians in Egypt, is that during Ramadan they feel ostracized and alienated from society. “We respect Ramadan and love the way Muslims fast. As Copts this is nothing new to us, but the way it is thrown in our faces and how we are forced to change our daily schedule is not fair. The late night demands for people to wake up and take the meal before sunrise is not right. We are Egyptians just as much as Muslims,” said Noha Fahim, a 29-year-old mother of two young children. For now, with 29 days of fasting to go, Egypt is in the mix of religion, culture and faith. It is a time for coming together. BM
