CAIRO: Walking through the campus of any private university or a public hangout in a private community, it’s easy to spot Muslims who are not fasting.
One of the five pillars of Islam – which include shehada (profession of faith), praying, paying alms and pilgrimage to Mecca if it can be afforded – the religious practice is observed throughout the nation, especially in public.
But recently, more and more Muslims are breaking the age-old taboo of eating, drinking and smoking in public during the day in Ramadan.
According to Saeed Sadek, sociology professor at the American University in Cairo, Muslims not fasting during Ramadan is not a growing trend, rather it has existed for a long time.
“What is really happening is that in the past people who weren’t practicing religion were [discreet] about it and didn’t show it. However, today people are frank about their beliefs and that they are not taking religion seriously, Sadek said.
“In our society right now people can declare their true [feelings about religion], he added.
From a religious perspective, according to the Quran and Hadith, there are five situations in which Muslims are exempt from fasting during Ramadan, such as during sickness, whether with an illness such as the flu or a chronic condition such as diabetes and when traveling. Also, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating are exempt from fasting. Whatever the circumstance may be, Muslims have to compensate for not fasting during the holy month. In some cases, people are required to feed the poor for every day they missed.
Many attribute this growing trend of young people being open about not fasting to what they call unreligious upbringing.
“I wasn’t brought up in a home where fasting and religion in general were part of our lives, my parents always told me that I’m free to make my own choices, said Ahmed, a 22-year-old student in a private university.
On the other hand, there are other people who are afraid to tell their parents that they are not fasting and eat and drink only when they leave home.
“My family doesn’t know I’m not fasting during Ramadan, said Mostafa, a 23-year-old student. “The thing is I don’t think my fasting will be accepted; the truth is I drink [alcohol] and do every other sin, so it’s definitely not going to count nor would it make a difference, so why do it? he added.
With Ramadan coming in early September this year, the hot weather was also cited as a reason for not fasting. “Can’t you see the weather? . It’s unbelievable, I’ll die if I didn’t drink anything when I’m out in the sun all day, but I fast during the weekends when I’m in the comfort of my home, in bed with the air conditioner, all day, said Salma, a 27-year-old broker.
Ramadan comes 11 days earlier every year, which means for the next few years it will be in the middle of searing hot summer months.
“I know from now that I won’t fast, it will be really difficult for me, she answered.
Many people who don’t fast during Ramadan don’t like to admit it. “I haven’t fasted for a couple of years but still I can’t label myself as ‘I don’t do Ramadan’ because I know if I wake up and think I can fast today I will do it, said 24-year-old Nabil.
“There is a social pressure in Egypt to fast; the majority of the population are Muslim and a person who says they don’t fast during Ramadan will automatically be judged upon and labeled as kafer (infidel), explained Nada, 24-year-old banker.
There are two main common factors among those who don’t fast: their socioeconomic class and their liberal lifestyle. “It definitely goes back to the social circle of the person, you would mainly find that in urban areas among the upper class members of society, said Sadek.
However, Sadek doesn’t think that age is a factor. “It’s not only restricted to young people, it varies equally between the elderly and the young, he said.
“In the past, there were so many religious restrictions so people couldn’t show it, however right now they could publicly show it without any reservations, he added.
“People could be doing it out of secularism and oppression, people are rebelling against religion.
