Today is day one of the fasting season for Muslims, which will last for 30 days. However, non-Muslims shouldn’t take this season for granted, as they also face various challenges and will be just as glad when the new moon is sighted, announcing Eid Day.
Rush hours at restaurants and hotels in the evening. Muslims break their fast at 7 pm, hence causing congestion in eateries from Makindye to Wandegeya. Especially if it is a Halal restaurant, you could spend an extra hour waiting to get your usual pilau order. However, owners of the premises are never among the people complaining as they make lots of money during this period.
Prices of fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs shoot up. Muslims usually break their fast starting with light meals like fruits, a watermelon here and a ffene (jackfruit) there, hence the high demand, forcing the prices to shoot up. Here non-Muslims suffer together with the fasting group.
Work is also partly interrupted. Employment involving Muslims tends to slow down during this period. For instance, in a company that uses a Muslim cook; it looks a bit weird to use such a person during this period. Even the Swahabas involved in heavy lifting, say offloading containers in Kikuubo, are less productive because they are working on empty tummies. Also, Muslims observe prayer times, and you don’t expect them to work when it’s time to break the fast.
Orphanage homes gain a lot during these periods. One of the pillars of Islam is giving alms (zakat). Beggars usually love this period as Muslims are more prone to give.
Loud prayer calls: It is a difficult season for neighbours of mosques during this period because of the ‘’muezzin’’ (call to prayers on loudspeakers). Some landlords’ properties near mosques even report that their tenants usually vacate the houses during this period.
Music shows. Many promoters tend not to dare hold shows during Ramadan unless ‘Tatya danger’ (he/she doesn’t fear) loss. Muslims constitute a good chunk of showgoers in Uganda, and they will not show up for a show, even if you are bringing Beyoncé.
Lower turnout in bars and nightclubs. It is an open secret that Muslims love to party, but when it is the fasting season, all this is put on hold. They are big spenders, so bar owners see a significant decrease in their sales during this period.
Dealers in Muslim items make a killing: Items like kanzus and Hijabs are in high demand. Hawkers and boutique owners have a reason to smile.
Relationships on hold: During Ramadan, Muslims adhere to the rule of not sleeping with someone unless she is their lawfully wedded wife. As a result, Ibrahim will cut off his contacts with Annet until the fasting season ends. That is the reason why there are lots of Muslim weddings before the Ramadan season. And don’t be surprised to find Annet, who used to wear mini skirts, in a full Hijab, going by the name Anisha. That is after she has formalized things with her Hajji.
Good morals: Also, during this period, morals in society are excellent. Muslims usually leave cases like theft and adultery to people of other religions.
At Matooke Republic, we wish all our Muslim readers a fruitful Ramadan.
