JEDDAH, 19 September 2007 — Non-Muslims may find the various tasks Muslims carry out in Ramadan difficult to understand, let alone observe. However, they are willing to respect the religious significance of the month. In fact, some find it hard to follow their day-to-day schedules because of the change in routine during the blessed month.
During Ramadan, people’s working hours are reduced to six hours a day and most people usually begin work at 10 a.m. Roads are often congested and restaurants do not open until 5.30 p.m. Non-Muslims are further obliged to respect the feelings of Muslims by abstaining from eating, drinking and smoking in public during the day.
Michael A., 40, is marketing manager at a local company. He has been living in the Kingdom for 11 years. He said that during Ramadan he tries going out when there is less traffic and crowds. Along with his Western friends, Michael tries adhering to his regular schedule.
“Ramadan is the busiest time of the year, but in a very compacted sort of way,” said Michael. “I get up and go to work at the normal time when the roads are empty. I try to get back before iftar, because up until 8 p.m. Jeddah is livable. After that it just becomes insane,” he added.
Michael said that during the first week of Ramadan he does not experience changes in work productivity when dealing with customers and clients. For the first few days, business is vaguely normal.
“In the second and third weeks, you begin to see changes. People tend to overdo things in celebration of events. Take for example the two weeks prior to Christmas in Western countries. Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, love and goodwill to all. But it ends up being a season of stress and commotion,” he said.
Michael finds the changes during Ramadan to be touching and eccentric. “I like it. I think it’s bizarre to do your banking at midnight. But it’s nice and I enjoy the atmosphere once I’m out,” he said.
Angelina, a 30-year-old teacher and mother of two, feels that Ramadan makes people impatient and frustrated. Angelina works at an international school, which sticks to fixed work hours throughout year, including Ramadan. “My husband suffers sleep deficiencies. He wakes up at 7 a.m. to drive the children and me to school. However, his first shift doesn’t start until 10 a.m.,” said Angelina.
“Why do working hours differ during Ramadan? Isn’t it more convenient to roam the streets early in the morning when the temperature is somewhat moderate?”
Downtown Jeddah is particularly appealing to expatriates during Ramadan. The Balad area comes alive during the month with stalls selling perfumes, accessories, gifts, incense, clothes and bags mushrooming everywhere. Food stalls offer treats such as sambousas, chopped liver, potatoes, popcorn and Arabic sweets. Traditional lanterns (Fanoos) are hung to symbolize the holy month.
Tom, a 36-year-old Filipino architect, said that although he is a Christian he still fasts to feel the spirit of the month. “In Christianity, people fast during Lent — a 40-day period that symbolizes the 40 days spent by Jesus (peace be upon him) in the desert. I immensely enjoy going to have my iftar in Old Jeddah,” he said. “I usually look forward to the nightlife that starts after midnight and extends to dawn.”
However, Tom believes that the stream of heavy traffic is crippling and annoying, especially since Jeddah roads are unable to contain heavy traffic.
Jenaline, a 25-year-old Filipino, works as a maid for a Saudi family. This is her first Ramadan in the Kingdom; she has only been here for nine months. “It’s a completely different, yet enticing, experience for me. I see people pray more and read Qur’an more often. People cook traditional dishes for Ramadan and they eat only during iftar and sahour,” said Jenaline. “Their routine flips over. The day becomes night and vise-versa, which is fine by me. My employer is very flexible and gives me full freedom to eat, work and do as I please without any restrictions and I appreciate that.”
Religious tolerance takes on a different meaning for those living in a country in which they are a religious minority. Steve believes otherwise. He has lived in Jeddah for the past six years and has worked as an electronics engineer for several companies. “What I’ve noticed is that people’s attitude changes during Ramadan. People talk to you more freely. I’ve also had two car accidents in three days. Both times people drove into me and both times we ended up shaking hands and reconciling,” he said.
Attitudes change in Ramadan. Most expats enjoy the blessed month even though there are aspects that they disapprove of. “I’m not a Muslim, but I shouldn’t be upsetting or criticizing Muslims for their genuine belief,” said Steve. “I’m a guest in the Kingdom and I should follow the rules. That’s simply courtesy,” he added.
