Ramadhan Mobarak

[Jefe]

Catholics fast during holy week (last week before Easter) too. We aren't supposed to eat red meat and milk. Fish it's usually eaten. When I was young my mum later on told me "just give up something you love to do for a while" (vydia gaems). Another year she just said, "just be good and avoid evil." <3 mum ;o I can't eat red meat regardless ;x

[elison]

RETARDED CUSTOM

im gonna fucking pig out on a goat or whatever animal you worship every day of rammadon starting now

Oh God no, not the pigs.

I always tried to avoid eating in front of Muslims during fast back at school, but do they really find it offensive/disrespectful to eat/drink in front of them? You can't expect people who don't fast to change their eating habits because you do.

It's not considered disrespectful at all. Like you said, people can't expect others to completely change eating habits just because a select few of us are fasting.

I, however, get just a tad bit jealous when I see others eating in front of me around my 9th hour of fast. By then I'm usually ready to stuff my head into a pile of dirt and start chowing down, but I've personally never met a Muslim who found it offensive, nor have I ever read anywhere that it was offensive.

[Kaza]

NOt offensive at all, but like Elison said, it just makes it harder .

i however get offended from retarded comments from ignorant people like Chillin.
enjoy stuffing your face.

[Lordwafik]

I always tried to avoid eating in front of Muslims during fast back at school, but do they really find it offensive/disrespectful to eat/drink in front of them? You can't expect people who don't fast to change their eating habits because you do.

Nope. If any of them find it offensive and get in your face, get in their face They have no right to tell you that you're not allowed to eat in front of them. The only way I could see it being offensive, is if you intentionally did something like sat outside a mosque, with a catering service giving out free meals and shit like that. It shouldn't be offensive at all especially living in a non islamic country, they should realize that non muslims exist too.

When I was in school, we had a high population of Greek Orthodox christians who fasted in a different way, I think no oil and something, but neither of us cared if one was fasting and the other ate. Shit happens, multicultralism is awesome when people aren't fighting.

RETARDED CUSTOM

im gonna fucking pig out on a goat or whatever animal you worship every day of rammadon starting now

Sounds awesome! Hate to break it to you though, we don't worship any animals Ironically this means you'll be pigging out on nothing, and fasting along side us. Welcome!

[Faris]

Il 7ub prob<3

Firas, what is the appropriate punishment for apostasy?

Beating with a rubber dildo

[Diezel]

RETARDED CUSTOM

im gonna fucking pig out on a goat or whatever animal you worship every day of rammadon starting now

You must have special relation with goats??
Any way Ramadan Mobarak

[Shuemue]

Question for the Muslims;

Is the point of fasting to represent hardship?

The reason I ask, I was wondering how a Muslim who worked nights would fast. For example, he might only be awake for an hour or two during daylight hours. Is he just lucky, and fast the same as everyone else and can eat almost the whole time he's awake, or would he choose to fast at night instead?

[Kamiboi]

Question for the Muslims;

Is the point of fasting to represent hardship?

The reason I ask, I was wondering how a Muslim who worked nights would fast. For example, he might only be awake for an hour or two during daylight hours. Is he just lucky, and fast the same as everyone else and can eat almost the whole time he's awake, or would he choose to fast at night instead?

Nope, he has to fast with other people :/ What he can do is sleep, and wake up for prayers and when it's time to eat... No way around that... Unless you live in someplace where it's like dark all the time... I was once in London during ramdhan a LONG time ago and it wasn't fun fasting for like 14 hrs+ was harsh since I was a kid :/

Edit: Oh yeah, and fasting is a way of putting your self in the shoes of people with no food or water etc.

[Kiarax]

Edit: Oh yeah, and fasting is a way of putting your self in the shoes of people with no food or water etc.

So why do you only fast during daylight?

[Kamiboi]

So why do you only fast during daylight?

Hmmm... I need to come back to you on that one, but for now I can tell you this. Fasting during night time would be way to easy since people would just sleep xD

Edit: I asked and it turned out to be very simple... It's the time when everyone is working, and the feeling of working and fasting at the same time makes you feel what others, who don't have it as fortunate as you, feel during thier days...

Shaikh Firas will correct me if I'm wrong :>

[Faris]

because thats when the majority works, and its more tiring fasting in the day.

im no shaikh, but thank you for that title :D

[Obev]

Were I a Muslim, I'd just take an extended holiday to the Norwegian Arctic Circle. Either that or just become nocturnal.

[Kaza]

you see ramadan isn't just about fasting.
"Ramadan" is a full time day/night worship.fasting is considered a worship, but even if you get to sleep through the daylight, that doesn't mean you are done.
yes night time workers might sleep most of the day but that doesn't mean he gets it easy.
the usual thing to do is stay up late praying and reading Qouran .

[Kajii]

More than once when I've explained that I'm fasting and what it's all about to someone have they responded with "How can you do that? You can't even eat CRACKERS?!" At least three times they think crackers are an exemption... why would crackers be ok?

Anyway I won't say I enjoy it when people eat around me, I still go to lunch with coworkers, but I do feel a little better/stronger knowing I can endure being around delicious food like California Pizza Kitchen.

[Elesirdur]

Re Crackers: Maybe has something to do with people in Christian-influenced societies (like Canada, UK, USA, etc) associating crackers with the Host of the Eucharist? Or maybe that many white people associate crackers like saltines as the most basic form of food so therefore it should be "permissible".

I recall my high school used to participate in the Twenty-Four Hour Famine thing to raise awareness and financial support for famine relive efforts in Africa. I would sign up and pay the $20 or w/e but never participate in the "famine" because I know that wouldn't change my opinion, and there was no participant cost-matching program in place. Anyway, participants were allowed water, clear fruit juices (including sugar-packed stuff like Kool Aid), and I think like up to 4 packages of two saltine crackers each. There were very few Muslim kids at this prep school, and those that were came from Indian families. I think those that observed Ramadhan thought that being allowed to eat during a "famine" fast was pretty silly. (Of which I did too, which is why I paid the money but kept eating lol)

Anyway, as a non-religious person I've got quite a bit of respect for Muslims who observe Ramadhan. It's an interesting mode of spiritual and social sharing that is (from an outsider's perspective) really quite egalitarian.

[Sigi]

I'm honestly shocked that this thread has been (for the most part!) troll-free and rather educational. It's always interesting to have a window into another culture, and have a discussion about what something means without a bunch of dogma being sprayed about. Thank you for answering my questions.

[Elesirdur]

I guess trolling Muslims is so 2002?

[Demosthenes]

I guess trolling Muslims is so 2002?

Yup, trolling catholics is in now. I mention fasting and giving up shit for lent and i get trolled irl. I think the irony of the situation lies in the fact that, atheist trolls and bible thumping trolls are both the same thing. Skub, Anti-Skub.