Berkley Center

Ramadan Kareem, Eid Mubarak! These two phrases, meaning "Ramadan is Generous" and "Happy Eid," respectively, have been the catchphrases of Muslims all over the world for the past month. The holy month of Ramadan has recently come to an end (October 12, 2007) and was marked by the Festival of Eid. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown. They are also forbidden from engaging in sex, smoking, or drinking alcohol (which is forbidden to Muslims at all times). At sundown (approximately 6:00 p.m. here in Egypt) fast is broken with a meal called iftar. All along streets tables with free food are set up by wealthy people or organizations for poor people. Feeding the poor is an obligation of wealthy Muslims during Ramadan, and these tables are called tables of compassion or mercy.

Ramadan is considered a very social month because most Muslims break the fast with their family and friends, and every night becomes an excuse for a social event. Additionally, during this period both work hours and school days are curtailed and adjusted to allow for iftar. At 6:00 p.m. the roads of Cairo, which are normally congested with back-to-back traffic, become ghost roads. After iftar, people eat another large meal, sohour, just before sunrise (around 4:00 a.m. here). Foreigners were affected because it was obviously impolite of us to eat or drink in a public place. Many small restaurants and nightclubs that we frequent were also closed during the entire month.

What surprised me most about Ramadan is the fact that it seems to me that most Muslims participate. I was more surprised when I met a Muslim who was not fasting than I was when I met Muslims who were. Because Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, the exact date changes every year. This past month, Ramadan came early: September 12 to October 12. At the same time, Cairo was unusually warm throughout the month. Despite this, the majority of the population did not drink water during the day, which I perceived to be the most difficult aspect of Ramadan. Furthermore, many businesses, particularly restaurants, were willing to sacrifice one-twelfth of their annual profits by either reducing their hours or completely shutting down. I am surprised because I can't imagine most Americans engaging in a similar activity. Only a small percentage of Christians even refrain from eating meat products on certain days. Furthermore, I don't think most American businesses would be willing to sacrifice their profits in the name of religion.

However, even in the Middle East, many people did not always fast. One of my professors informed me that a few decades ago only a small minority of students at my study abroad university, where boys wear Versace and Lacoste and girls carry Gucci and Coach purses, fasted. However, in the past month it seemed to me that the majority of students fasted. Apparently, the increasing number of people who fast is part of a larger trend of Islamization in the region. Just as more people are fasting, more women are opting to wear a hijab (scarf covering their hair) or even a full burqa. I estimate that approximately 70 to 75 percent of the population of women here wear the hijab, and probably another 10 to 15 percent wear the burqa. This was one of the most surprising aspects about life in Egypt.

Perhaps this attempt to Islamize society is actually an attempt to preserve Arab culture against the affront posed by the West. One clue to this lies in the fact that when I asked Arabs why they feasted, I was given the answer that it was more cultural than religious. Similarly, when I asked why women wear the hijab, I was told that it was a way for Arab women to resist the cultural imperialism of the West. It was even a fashion statement for a time. Societal pressure probably has a significant impact on such a topic. I imagine that not fasting could open you up to criticism, and if all of your friends and family are fasting, you would feel guilty about joining your family members for iftar without fasting yourself. The question remains, though, is this religious revival sustainable and, if so, for how long?