Well, today marks the first day of the Muslim month of Ramadan. It is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, and shifts about 10 days each year. When I was in Somalia in 1993, it was in February.

It is a month that is focused on prayer, fasting, and charity. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, along with the shahada, or declaration of faith (there is no God but Allah), prayer 5 times a day, zakat, or charity, and making pilgrimage to Mekkah once in a lifetime (hajj)

The fast is an abstention of food, drink, and sex from sun-up to sun-down. It begins for children in puberty, and extends to all adults, except for the sick, elderly, travelers, and pregnant/nursing/menstruating women. For any day missed, it has to be made up later on.

Ramadan begins after the sighting of the new moon; the next day is the first day. Once the next new moon is sighted, Eid al Fitr begins, a week of celebration that "breaks the fast."

Here in Saudi Arabia, the heart of Islam, Ramadan is taken especially seriously. The Muttawa, or religious police, are on sharp alert for anyone violating the fast. Eating, drinking, or even chewing gum in public can land you in the hoosegow until the end of the month. Even non-Muslims are subject to the restrictions. We've been cautioned to eat and drink during the day only in private during the next month...It sure would suck to get locked up in Saudi jail for chewing gum...

Prisoner in Saudi Jail: "Whattaya in for?"

Me: "Chewing gum...You?"

Prisoner in Saudi Jail: "I'm with A! Qda..."

***NOTE TO ANY US OR OTHER INTEL/LEO TYPES LOOKING AT THIS BLOG...THE ABOVE EXCHANGE WAS A JOKE MERELY TO ILLUSTRATE A POSSIBLE SCENARIO...PLEASE DO NOT ARREST ME. I PROMISE NOT TO CHEW GUM OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE.