Letters

A Ramadan gestureDear Sir,I am a Muslim and very proud of that too.  Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory upon every Muslim, male or female. If one is sick, one is exempt from fasting  but Allah Almighty expects Muslims to complete all days of fasting when he or she becomes fit to do so.Fasting demonstrates total faith in Allah and Muslims should  show self-restraint and not eat or drink  even when not being watched by anyone.According to the latest census available, 77.5% of the population of Qatar are Muslim, 8.5% Christian and 14%  other. This was based on a survey done in 2004. The percentage of followers of other religions must have increased by this time.During Ramadan, restaurants in Qatar are closed during the fasting hours, from dawn to sunset. This is done to maintain the sanctity of the holy month.Fasting is a test of self-control on worldly desires and should not be adversely affected just by the availability of food in eateries during the day as refraining from eating or fulfilling the mandatory aspects of fast is only between Allah and individuals.Since there are a number of non-Muslim workers in Qatar, they have to compulsorily hold themselves back from eating and drinking during the day in the month of Ramadan as restaurants are not open then.Islam teaches us to love and respect all, whether Muslims or followers of other religions.In the light of above, I would like to suggest that a few eateries may at least be allowed to remain open during the day in the holy month to facilitate our brethren from other religions and medically unfit  Muslims.These eateries may be asked to keep curtains and window blinds drawn while serving food.If we have strong faith, the opening of restaurants during fasting time should not affect our resolution as we have food available at our homes but we don’t even think of eating while fasting.M Khalid Kamal Villa-20, St-220 Pink VillasAin KhalidDoha