RIYADH, 4 November 2003 — Some 18 million mobile phone text messages in Saudi Arabia wished Muslims happiness at the start of their holiest time of year, the fasting month of Ramadan.
The ancient traditions of Ramadan, now in its second week, in the birthplace of Islam have a modern flavor — and it’s not just a matter of mobile phones. This year, politics and an anti-terror drive have influenced the way Saudis give during a month of charity and high religious fervor.
Conspicuously absent from mosques and shopping centers are collection boxes that Saudi charities usually set up under posters of dying children in the Palestinian areas, Chechnya and in other areas of conflict involving Muslims.
In an effort to curb terrorist funding, the government banned the boxes after the May 12 bombing that targeted Western residential compounds, killing 26 people and nine attackers.
Under the new regulations, donations are made through charities’ bank accounts, which are advertised in posters and billboards across the city.
“The boxes were banned because they could be misused,” Tawfeeq Al-Sediry, deputy minister of Islamic affairs told The Associated Press.
Ramadan is the season of worship and repentance that brings together families and friends to break their dawn to dusk fasting with a rich meal called iftar.
It’s also a month that underlines disunity among Arabs. This year, some countries, like Egypt, began fasting on Oct. 26. Saudi Arabia started a day later because clerics here insist the new month begins not when scientists determine, but when the crescent moon should be seen with the naked eye.
“Muslims in the far corners of the earth will not begin fasting on the same day,” wrote Qenan Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi columnist, in Al-Watan daily.
“This is the state of Muslims, one that elicits pity,” he added in a column titled “When will the Muslims’ crescent be united?”
Ramadan marks the revelation of the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nearly 1,400 years ago. Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex during daylight hours in an act of sacrifice and purification.
Saudi newspapers have special Ramadan pages that answer questions on what is and is not permitted. One reader asked if he can kiss his wife during the day. Yes, he was told in Al-Madinah newspaper. Is swimming OK? asked another. Yes, as long as water is not swallowed.
The government-run national carrier, Saudi Arabian Airlines, has introduced a special channel on its in-flight entertainment program that includes readings from the Qur’an and religious lectures.
Al-Eqtisadiah daily reported that 18 million text messages were sent on the eve of Ramadan and 55 million the week before Ramadan started.
Saud Darwish, deputy head of the country’s mobile telephone service, told the paper his agency made special preparations before Ramadan to absorb the increase in text messages and calls at this time of year.
One of the month’s high points are the special “Taraweeh” prayers, usually offered after the day’s last and fifth prayer.
For the first time, English speakers can follow those prayers on Saudi official television, which is beaming live translations of Taraweeh from the holy city of Makkah. The feed is being broadcast through the official channel to various international satellite stations.“The step is ... seen as an opportunity to open a window to a deeper understanding of Islam for an international TV audience,” according to a statement issued by the Islamic Affairs Ministry. Present at every iftar table are dates, a staple that’s in much demand at this time of year.
A Ramadan tradition in Egypt involving naming dates after famous and infamous personalities, including Egyptian and Lebanese entertainers, to distinguish between various grades, has angered some Saudis. “It’s not right for us to stoop that low and name Ramadan dates after (entertainers),” Ali Al-Ghamdi wrote in Al-Riyadh daily. “We have names of Palestinian heroes and heroines who have given up their lives to keep their land alive.”
In Saudi Arabia, like in most Arab countries, the working day shrinks from eight to five hours.
“Come back after (Ramadan),” said a sign behind a worker sleeping at his desk in a cartoon in the Okaz newspaper.
Saudi cities come alive a couple of hours after iftar, when shoppers begin thronging stores and malls that stay open till after midnight, enticing customers with raffles for cars or mobile phones and special offers on their goods. Some feel the Ramadan shopping frenzy has robbed this month of its spirituality.
“Some people may not grasp the real meaning of this month because of the blitz of advertisements that portray Ramadan as a month of feasts and pleasures,” wrote Shorouq Fawaz in the Al-Riyadh daily.
