Each Ramadan—this year, from March 11 to April 8—Christians in Syria brace for a difficult month. The 30-day period is holy for Muslims, marked by fasting from sunrise to sunset. It’s intended to be a time for Muslims to grow closer to God by obeying His commandments, studying the Quran, and seeking after Him—its observance is one of the five pillars of Islam.
In many Muslim-majority countries, employers often shorten the work day during Ramadan. This way, people who are up late eating (food is only permitted after sundown, so dinner may extend into the night hours) and up before sunrise for a morning meal can recover and come to work late.
Most Christians in Syria try their best to respect their neighbours and communities, so most believers try to only eat and drink indoors where there are no Muslims around.
But during the fast, it can be a time of feeling isolated and alone for Christians.
“Most of my classmates and neighbors are Muslims, so it is what it is,” says Reem*, a 25-year-old Christian woman from Damascus. “We [Christians] need to pay attention to our behaviour during this month.”
But that caution is not always easy. Reem remembers one Ramadan when she a forgot and drank water while walking down the street. Immediately, she saw people around her glaring at her. “I bowed my head and hurried away from the witnesses of my forbidden act,” she recalls. “One man couldn’t let it slip. When I passed him, he mumbled the Quran verse: ‘If you are tested and have fallen sinful, then hide and do not show off with your sins!’”
Reem’s mother once had a similar experience when she purchased some food supplies at the beginning of Ramadan. “She was buying spices in the old market in Damascus without realizing that Ramadan had started,” Reem says. “She took a little of the cumin and tasted it, and that made the seller so angry he refused to sell her any.”
Stores where people can buy ingredients for the evening meal tend to open after prayer in the middle of the day. Restaurants open about half an hour before sundown and stay open till after midnight to accommodate those who are fasting.
“What I miss the most during Ramadan is the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning and enjoying a cup while responding to emails,” says Reem, who looks forward to her morning cup of coffee at work.
But Sarah*, a 21-year-old Christian university student from Aleppo, has a different experience of Ramadan—though it isn’t an experience that Islamic religious leaders would appreciate! “I love Ramadan a lot,” she says.
“During this month, I feel special because some of my Muslim university friends would only hang out with me. They can eat and drink around me without the condemning looks of their fellow Muslim students.”
The experience of the holy month of Ramadan can vary for Syrian Christians from city to city and even from one neighbourhood to another. It all depends on how strict the majority of the people are.
But regardless of where they live or how intense the pressure is, Syrian Christians have no choice but to be reminded of how different they are this month.
So this month, let us stand with them in prayer, and remind them they belong to a global Body of believers!
Pray
- Pray that Christians will be able to maintain their witness during Ramadan – that they would be known for their grace and kindness.
- Pray for any Christians who might get into conflict with strict Muslims.
- Pray for the Muslims worldwide who are fasting and searching for God, that they might have an encounter with Jesus, the one who loves them.
*Name changed to protect identity