D-day for Ramadan, in the tray and for the most long fasts – Liberation

Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, began Thursday at dawn in France, where it promises to be particularly taxing for workers … and bac candidates with the most days of fasting long past thirty years.

During the 9th month of the Hijri lunar calendar, Muslims are encouraged to refrain from drinking, eating and having sex, the first light of the dawn – as soon as we can “distinguish a white thread from a black thread,” prescribed by the Koran, well before sunrise. – to sunset

In other words fasting will be more than 18 hours, from about 3:50 until almost 22:00 in the first days of the holy month which reminds that in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, according to tradition.

The first week of Ramadan, this year also spell the beginning of the summer, with the longer days and a risk of high temperatures.

Now the Ramadan fast, the fourth pillar of Islam , is binding on every Muslim pubescent. In France, home to Europe’s first Muslim community with five million members (religious or not), it’s also a cultural rite of worship as much as massively followed, with more than 70% or even 80% of fasters, according to studies

Exemptions calling compensations. – by a deferred fasting – are planned for travelers, the sick, the elderly, pregnant women or recent mothers. But theoretically nor workers nor for candidates for examinations …

“Taking an exam is not considered a valid reason for abandonment of fasting,” according Anwar Kbibech, next president French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM). “However, there may be situations where the person can not take fasting. At zero is not required, “he added, echoing like a passage from the Koran (” God wants ease for you and not trouble “).

For Muslims Orthodox Fateh Kimouche, influential blogger under the name of Al Kanz, “the problem is not Ramadan is oneself. Sure that fasting is easier to bear if we do not orgy at night, “at the iftar banquets, he slips. “Many feel lighter, feel better during Ramadan,” he assures touting the virtues of “spiritual struggle” and “physical therapy”

-. “Unit found” –

Fasting time and heat, however, could severely test the agencies this year. In anticipation, the outgoing president of the CFCM, Dalil Boubaker, rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, called for “benevolence” Muslim employees of employers, while ensuring that “no company will be hampered by Ramadan” .

Notably this year, the faithful of the second religion of France begin this holy month in the unit, as supporters of the lunar observation – the Algerian-Moroccan institutional Islam that holds the CFCM but also current fundamentalist Salafists – made last Tuesday the same date of choice in Ramadan that the followers of determining in advance the schedule by astronomical calculations

These. – the Union of Islamic Organisations of France (UOIF) from the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as federations related to Turkey – had set long to 18 June 2015 the start of Ramadan, which is expected to end around July 17. Ramadan ends with the Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of breaking the fast,” one of the two major festivals of Islam, which falls on the first day of the following month called “Shawwal”.

“We can only welcome the rediscovered unity of Muslims in France to start this blessed month of fasting,” said Anwar Kbibech, noting that those who hold forth on the division of Islam France “will be for their expenses.”