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Ramadan Fasting Not Universal in Secular Turkey
By Saad Abdel Majid
ISTANBUL, November 29 (IslamOnline) - Despite a general air of well-being throughout Turkish cities during the month of Ramadan, a large majority of men and women in Turkey do not observe the fast.
Reasons usually cited are the inability to stop smoking or being raised in a family or educational setting which is secular that does not stress on the importance of fasting in Ramadan.
If you enter the Istanbul University of Bugaz or Technic University, or even one a bank branch in Istanbul, you will notice a large majority of women working smoking during the day in Ramadan, and having their lunches in the in-house cafeteria.
Restaurants in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara do not shut down during the day in Ramadan and have customers from both genders.
"I don't fast and I need to drink water during my lectures. But I don't do that in front of my students. I take a break during the lecture and I go to drink in my office," declared Dr. Seoli Blmaz, of Istanbul's University of Jalta Sray, in a speech he gave Tuesday.
Speaking to IslamOnline, Qassem Shlbek, librarian in one of the Turkish bank's libraries in Istanbul said: "We break our fast at work because the working day ends one hour after the Maghrib prayers so we can only have
iftar [breaking of the fast] with our families in the weekends. Alhamdulilah [Thanks to Allah] that they offer us iftar at least."
Schools and local universities don't change schedules for Ramadan, but retain their normal schedule from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., which is after the
maghrib (evening) prayers in Turkey. This means that many students reach their homes nearly an hour or more after iftar, often because of the crowded roads during this time of the day.
Former Turkish premier, Najmeldeen Erbakan, tried during his tenure in 1997 to make the working day start earlier during Ramadan so that people could get home before iftar to be with their families.
But the secular political parties refused, arguing that in Turkey Ramadan is merely a religious practice that should not interfere with day-to-day activities. The country does recognize Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-Al-Adha as holidays, considering them traditions that do not have a negative effect on the secular state.
Zaki Oran, manager in a private factory in Turkey, said that he allows workers to leave one hour before
iftar. He adds that meals for iftar and suhoor are given free of charge for those who have their work shifts during these times. There is a mosque inside the factory to allow workers to perform prayers at proper times.
Mustafa Kuraa, owner of a translation bureau in Istanbul, said he brings iftar foodstuffs from his home so that people who observe the fast in the office can share
iftar with him. "We are unable to finish the work at four to be home at five," he said.
In addition, women who wear the hijab (Islamic head covering) do not break their fast in Ramadan, even if they have legitimate reasons for it.
Some women, who demonstrate daily in front of universities that do not allow them to study because of their veils, do not break their fast despite standing for long hours in the cold and rain.
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