09.08.2011The Tradition of RamadanWhich Image of God Determines
the Ritual Behaviour? The Islamic month of fasting began last
Monday – in Europe too, where the majority society still knows
far too little about the holy practice, which is a religious
duty of all Muslims and one of the "five pillars of Islam". Emel
Zeynelabidin says that for this reason, posing questions that
are free of fear and born of interest is now a matter of great
urgency The fact that fasting during the month of Ramadan has
been practiced by Muslims every year for 14 centuries is
singular and an almost unbelievable accomplishment. It is a
phenomenon of ancient, religious ritual that has endured to this
day and that, upon first glance, cannot be logically explained
by science. In my view, neither Muslims nor non-Muslims give
this phenomenon the attention it deserves. Today, if I as a
female Muslim who is very familiar with the fasting ritual owing
to my upbringing, talk to my non-Muslim friends about the
particulars of Ramadan, and list