This Week in Doha: Fasting, Garangao-ween, Unlawful Sex

Fanar offered non-Muslim expats three opportunities this week to share a "traditional" iftar experience (breaking the day's Ramadan fast by eating together) in a program titled, "Come Fast With Us."  Fasting before the meal was not required.  To enhance the experience, I decided to fast anyway.

 

Fanar: Qatar Islamic Cultural Center

 

Every year Muslims all over the world abstain from food and drink (this includes water) for the 30 days of Ramadan, from dawn (about 3:30am) to sundown (about 6:30pm).  All Muslims…excepting the insane or children under the age of 10 years.  Those who are sick, travelling, pregnant, nursing or menstruating are not expected to fast, but must reschedule the missed experience for a later date:  "a day for a day."  People who are old or chronically ill feed a needy person in lieu of fasting.

 

Ramadan occurs during the month of the Islamic ("Hijri") calendar when it is believed that the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH: this means "peace be upon him" and is the English equivalent of what follows the Prophet's - PBUH - name or title).  Each year the date Ramadan begins changes slightly as the rhythm of the Islamic calendar is affected by the moon.

 

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.  It is a gift to God, opportunity for prayer, introspection, self-reflection, empathy. If you're Muslim, fasting earns you reward in the afterlife.

 

The Five Pillars of Islam:

1.  Faith:  the Shahada

2.  Prayer

3.  Zakat:  charitable giving

4.  Fasting

5.  Pilgrimage: the Hajj

Islamicity.com

 

If you're non-Muslim, expect a body cleansing, soul freeing, emotion enhancing experience. Do not expect to earn points toward the (Islamic) Heaven.

 

How to begin fasting:

1) rise before dawn (unless you're the mom, sister, aunt or other able bodied female, in which case you get up even earlier to cook…or if you're like many young Muslims who stayed up all night feasting/playing, you would make your way home to gather with the fam and eat some more before the new fast begins).
2) enjoy a pre-fast meal called "Suhoor."  The meal may consist of anything you like except alcohol or pork, which are forbidden in Islam.
3) express your intention to fast: "I intend to fast today."
4) stop eating and drinking.
5) pray.

 

At dawn, approximately an hour and a half before sunrise, the muezzin chants the first Adhan, called "Fajr."  All eating and drinking ceases about 5 minutes before the call.

 

At 3:15am I drank a bottle of water, said a prayer.  Catholics, like Muslims, have standardized prayers - the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Angel of God, etc.  But when I talk to God (especially at 3am) it's usually in the Baptist way, ie, a variation of this:

 

Dear God, Bless my babies, Chris, Katie and Kimberly, Krissy and Killian.  Bring them happiness, peace, joy, love.  Send angels to guide their decisions, guard their hearts and keep them safe.  Thank you for Amazing Bob, his wisdom, kindness and all the sacrifices he makes for our family.  Thank you for Mom and Dad and Kitty and Kay and Charles and Bernie and  (insert your name here).  Help us to love one other.  Let me make a difference in someone's life today.  Amen.

 

I won't detail the rigors of my first Islamic fast.  Let's just say:  it was difficult.

 

I read.  I napped.  I (tried to) write.  I watched "Dora the Explorer" in Arabic and baked brownies for the next day's Secret Ramadan Lunch.

 

The no-food part wasn't that big a deal for me.  The no-liquid part, however, was a moment-to-moment challenge.

 

(In the interest of full disclosure:  because of the extreme heat, I'd made plans to stay inside most of the day, which is not usual for me.  While temps soared to a scalding 105F, it was not humid and there was a rare, God-gifted breeze, so I was able to sit on the balcony.  I did not sleep the day away.  But I cannot claim to have done my "regular" thing while fasting.)

 

By mid-afternoon, I couldn't type straight anymore and my eyes had stopped working.  I was exhausted, dull, cranky and sad.  But I was no longer hungry or thirsty.  (Kind of like when you stop feeling cold just before you freeze to death?)

 

With the end of my first fast in sight, I joined a group of other non-Muslims at Fanar as Brother Domenic, a bearded Irish convert with Leprechaun-pink cheeks, twinkling eyes and an impish grin outlined Islam, explained Ramadan and detailed how fasting works.

 

Brother Domenic:  "When is orange juice like alcohol?" Answer: "During daytime hours in Ramadan."

 

The group separated by gender.  In the ladies' area, we sat on the floor and enjoyed the communion of (vacuum packed) dates and (bottled) water and a traditional rice, lamb and salad feast.  We learned more about Islam from an eloquent, fun and funny niqab-wearing convert from Virginia, USA, who speaks fluent Egyptian and Gulf dialects - and was the only participating Arabic speaker.  (To my knowledge there were no Qataris - or Arabs - present.)  Each guest received a tee shirt and a book about Ramadan.

 

tee shirt

 

Later, I ate a bowl of popcorn, nibbled a few cookies and fell asleep watching "Conan" (the talk show host , not the Barbarian).  I didn't feel the need to stay up all night eating, but then…I wasn't going to be fasting the next day (or the next or the next or the…) either.

 

Garangao

 

photo ops galore

 (camera trouble: please forgive pic quality!)

 

Once upon a time, the full moon on 14 Ramadan (the day that marks the celebration's half way point) meant children dressed in traditional costumes going door to door to collect treats and money from family and friends.  Today, tribes are spread throughout the city and unrelated multi-ethnic strangers hunker next door.  Instead of the traditional door to door-ing, parents and children gather at specified locations and, in the same way that America's Halloween has become "Trunk or Treat," children move from station to station showing off costumes in exchange for bags of candies and nuts.  (Click here to read more about Garangao.)

 

"Cauldron" of goodies outside a restaurant reinforces Halloween analogy

(same disclaimer about photo quality)

 

Garangao-ween (without the devils, demons, zombies and fairies)?

 

Garangao is a Gulf tradition.

 

Unlawful Sex

 

In March, 2013, a 24-year old Norwegian businesswoman from Doha is raped by a coworker while at a business meeting in Dubai.  She reports the assault and is charged with having unlawful sex, making a false statement and illegal consumption of alcohol.  She is sentenced to 16 months in prison.

 

Her (alleged) assailant, who is married, is convicted of public intoxication and having sex outside of marriage.  He receives 13 months in prison.

 

This week, following a world-wide outcry against the treatment and sentencing of the victim, all charges against the young woman are dropped.  She is pardoned by royal decree.

 

Since there is no longer a case, all charges against the (alleged) rapist are also dropped.

 

"While Dubai has a reputation as a cosmopolitan city that boasts Western influences, where visitors can drink at bars and restaurants and unmarried couples can share hotel rooms, the country adheres to Islamic laws and traditions.

 

Having sex outside of marriage and public consumption of alcohol are both violations of the law in the United Arab Emirates."

cnn.com

 

The young woman and her (alleged) attacker are both fired from their jobs in Doha for "drinking alcohol at a staff conference that resulted in trouble with the police." cnn.com
 

Ramadan: And Then Comes the Eating

Iftar is the meal served at sunset during Ramadan, as Muslims break the daily fast with dates and either water or a yogurt drink…very much a social event, involving family and community members…

http://islam.about.com

 

Iftar: it's like Thanksgiving dinner, all night, every night for 30 days straight.

 

Qatar Tribune, Friday, July 12, 2013/Ramadan 3, 1434, page 1

A traditional Middle Eastern meal consists of one big plate of food and a mat on the floor.  In Egypt, we scooped communal fare with bread.  In Qatar, family members dine from the same tray, feasting out of the nearest spot using the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand.

 

During Ramadan in Qatar, restaurants and hotels offer nightly special deals for a bounteous iftar feast involving multiple courses.  Businesses sponsor "iftar tents" where Muslims commune for free eats.  In modern and becoming-modern Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, families also eat out - at Chili's, The Outback, Bennigans.

 

dates

 

But first, after as many as 16 hours without food or drink, the faithful break their fast with dates and sips of water.  For some, the custom is a sort of religious communion.

 

Communion:

the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level; shared participation in a mental or spiritual experience

http://oxforddictionaries.com

 

In the Protestant church where I grew up, monthly Communion was celebrated after a hearty greeting that involved hand shaking, smiling, laughter and words like "Welcome! How are you! Glad to see you!"  Music played.  A silver tray pocked with holes that fit the (shaped-like-a-shot-glass-but-smaller) crystal-like cups was passed from person to person.  When each of the faithful held a glass of the blood-red drink (ie, grape juice: "as the body and the blood"), the minister said a few words and congregants consumed the liquid, all at once, together.

 

Afterwards: potluck supper.

 

In the Catholic church where Bob and I raised our children, Communion was celebrated after a structured greeting that included a hand shake, nod and the words, "Peace be with you."  Specially trained ushers ("Eucharistic ministers") received a single goblet of blood-red liquid (ie, wine: "is the body and the blood") and waited at the front of the sanctuary.  As music played, congregants quietly exited to the aisle, one row at a time, before returning in orderly fashion to the same seat previously vacated.

 

Then: McDonald's drive thru and kids' baseball games.

 

In the unmarked (by law) Catholic church Bob and I attend in Doha, multi-national communicants greet one another by placing palms together at chest height and bending at the waist.  There are approximately 200 masses a week to choose from (I might be exaggerating a little) offered in an ever evolving variety of languages, which currently include Tagalog, Malayalam, Urdu, French, Spanish, Arabic, English and more.

 

Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Doha: inside

 

As music plays, white robed male and female ushers position themselves throughout the sanctuary.  And then, tsunami:  all at once and in no particular order, parishioners rush forward.  From the sides, middle, front, back.  Climbing over people, purses, strollers.  Stepping around, hurtling past, creating lines…of a sort.

 

Sometimes it's hard to tell who's moving forward and who's moving back.  Sometimes, after making one's way through the crowd it's hard to relocate one's originally vacated pew.  Sometimes it's hard to relocate one another.

 

Then, Bob and Cindi time: popcorn and Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno or an edited-for-Doha movie.

 

At the end of a day's fast during Ramadan, Muslims greet one another with kisses and exclamations.  The call to prayer is rhythmic, peaceful and calming.  There is the nibbling of dates and the sipping of water.  There is (the separation of the genders and) community prayer.

 

During Ramadan, Doha's Fuddruckers

is open from 6:30pm-1:30am

 

And then comes the eating.
 

Twelve Days Off...

…for government employees.  Everyone else makes do with three unencumbered days.  There'll be plenty to keep 'em busy:

Fireworks, music, plays, games, mall performers!  The Dark Knight Rises in theaters!  Heritage Village is open! (But the Villagio Mall?  Not...)

(pic borrowed from free pics at bigfoto.com)

Huzzah!  It's Eid al Fitr in Doha.

The end of Ramadan is a joyous occasion.  There is food and gift giving.  Water and juice drinking.  Shwarma eating and M&M-snacking.  Shopping, walking, laughing, playing.  In public daylight hours!

In Doha, the fun begins after food and prayer either Saturday or Sunday, August 18 or 19 and continues for three ecstatic days.  After which time, stores, malls, businesses, including the "alcohol store" reopen.  Life returns to Doha Normal. 

The festivities of the holiday traditionally last for three days. During this time, Muslims try to spend time with family and friends, visit the sick and elderly, and offer games and gifts to the children. Muslims thus celebrate the completion of another fasting month, seek blessings and forgiveness, and look forward to the opportunity to fast again the following year…

http://www.netplaces.com/understanding-islam/islamic-holidays/eid-al-fitr.htm

Bob and I will miss the fun:  we're headed to Rome!  Where we intend to celebrate our time together by baring our knees and shoulders, sipping wine in an open air cafe and maybe…maybe...

holding hands in public.

(pic borrowed from http://www.peggyhedrick.com; thanks, Mom)

Ramadan Bits

It's our last Ramadan Friday in Qatar (we'll be travelling next week).  Scenes from the month:

Each night at sunset, the cannon explodes to signal the end of the day's fast:

Crowds gather to watch, take pictures - and scream, cough, shield watering eyes when the explosion sounds because, you-got-it, they're standing way too close to the Richter-breaking, smoking thing:

It's like a ride at Disneyland - exciting, unexpected (will our eardrums burst, eyes dry out this time??):

There are praying rooms inside malls (and everywhere), often behind the restrooms.  This is an ablution space, where Muslims wash in preparation for prayer:

Beside the ablution area is a large, carpeted room where women kneel, in lines facing Mecca, and pray.  Young children (both genders) wander in and out of the praying women, passively learning a)how to pray, b)how to behave in (church), c)what's most important - in much the same way we introduced our own babies to God:

If there were women here I'd never take a photo (without permission); it would be disrespectful and rude.

Fast is traditionally broken surrounded by family with a few dates and sips of water.  Some dates are grown locally, like the bunch (protected in a kind of burlap-ish sack) in this Corniche palm.  For his effort, this date-napper nabbed dates (say that three times fast) that were nowhere near ripe:

These very different families waited, food ready, water bottles poised.  As the call to prayer hummed (through loudspeakers at the top of minarets), they ate and drank.

Oh, sure, Doha is safe.  But you can't-be-too-sure.  This Souq Waqif shop owner pulled curtains around his stall and locked up for Iftar:

Close up of the lock:

Meanwhile, back at Bob and Cindi's - what we served for the last Secret Office Lunch (lest the yachts outside our window lead you to believe we're totally roughing it):

And finally, something for Kitty (because moms need to hear from their sons, no matter where they are in the world, no matter what's happening in their lives, good, bad or indifferent, and especially when Mom can't just pop in for a squeeze…):

Works hard, plays nice, is a kind and loving father and Pop - who regularly skypes with his wonderful mom.  And not-only-that, he's darn cute. I like him.

Ramadan Kareem!