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Ramadan 'causes conflict'
05/11/2004 10:34 - (SA)
It is just after daybreak in the Nigerian capital of Abuja and the family of Mohammed Tasiu has gathered for Sahur - the morning meal and prayer.
His wife, Hajiya Ramatu, and his two daughters have prepared a special breakfast.
The table is laden with steaming bowls of rice, kosei, a local bean delicacy, akamu, roughly ground corn meal and plenty to drink.
"It is normally quite difficult to eat so much at dawn," Tasiu says of the ritual that has been playing out in many Muslim households all over Abuja for the past weeks.
The main course consists of a stew of halal meat, chillies, tomato and onions.
Although Nigeria is a secular state, about half of the population are Muslim and many businesses allow Muslims to leave work at 15:00 during the month of Ramadan.
However, Ramadan adversely affects the prices of certain foods. Rice, milk, beans, corn, sorghum and other traditional foods become more expensive during this time, Ramatu explains.
'Greedy businesses cash in on Ramadan'
In the Tanzanian capital of Dar-Es-Salaam, with its ancient Muslim traditions, residents also have to dig deep into their pockets to afford even basic foodstuffs.
A visit to the city's markets at Kariakoo, Tandale and Kijitonyama shows that the prices of rice, yams, bananas, manioc and meat have skyrocketed.
Sheik Abdallah Mwinyi, spokesperson for the Tanzanian Muslim Council, accuses greedy businessmen of exploiting the holy month.
"The cost of living should drop during Ramadan, specifically to wish poor Muslims a happy fasting period. It should be a month of reconciliation and good faith, even for non-Muslims," he says.
In a city like Dar-Es-Salaam where everyone is not Muslim, Ramadan sometimes causes friction.
While Muslims are fasting as the Koran prescribes, non-Muslim office workers complain that they are forced to forego lunch or walk far in search of the few restaurants that are open for business during the day. Most restaurants are owned by Muslims and are therefore closed for lunch.
"It affects your work and your pocket. To get back to work in time, you must either walk back earlier than usual or take a taxi," explains Paul James, a teacher at Green Acres High School.
Tanzania is a secular state and about 40% of its citizens are Muslims. Although businesses are not forced to respect Ramadan, some bars and nightclubs close their doors for the holy month, while the few late-night establishments that remain open have far fewer customers.
Muslims angry over scandal during Ramadan
Another form of conflict has marred Ramadan in Malawi, home to about one million Muslims.
"Ramadan is about much more than fasting between sunrise and sunset. Muslims must reflect on their lives," says Sheik Imran Shareef, chief secretary of the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM).
"We must make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends and get rid of bad habits," he adds.
However, in this context, many Muslims in Malawi are upset about the corruption scandal that made the headlines during the past few weeks in which members of the MAM were allegedly involved.
The MAM members are accused of misspending R750 000 earmarked for Muslims in northern Malawi who suffered damages in the 1999 riots after the re-election of President Bakili Muluzi, a Muslim. The opposition accused Muslims of trying to force Islam on the country and burned down several mosques.
The MAM has denied the fraud allegations and claims it spent the money on mosques all over the country.
Many Muslims bemoan the fact that the allegations surfaced during this time. "From a spiritual point of view, nobody benefits from the scandal," says Julius Bonnex, a photographer.
'Fasting strengthens faith, solidarity'
"We are all one in the faith. Islam does not discriminate. All of them are my brothers," says Mbarak Maina, a fruit seller in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, pointing at the men filing from the mosque after their midday prayers.
Officially, about 10% of Kenya's 32m people are Muslims, but Abdalla Kamwana, deputy chairperson of the supreme council of Muslims in that country, believes this figure could be as high as 33%.
"The constitution of Kenya guarantees freedom of religion and Islam is widely respected. There are strong ties between Muslims and Christians, because we fought together in the struggle for political change," Kamwana explains.
Although Ramadan is seen as a time of devotion and catharsis, it is also a time of receiving for some, Yussuf Mohammed, who runs a stall outside the Jamai mosque in the heart of Nairobi, suggests with a twinkle in his eye.
"It would have suited me if Ramadan lasted for three months.
"Many more people attend mosque during Ramadan and they are often very generous. It is therefore a good time for business," Mohammed explains.
This generosity does not extend to business only.
"Everyone is glad that it is Ramadan. The poor, whether they are Muslims or not, come here everyday because they know they will receive something," Mohammed says.
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