Ramadan: "Saddam Hussein" defeats "Bush"

On 6 of November the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, started. This year it will take at least 30 days (the month will end, when the crescent of the new moon is been seen approx. on 6 of December). For this month every mosque and shop, every residential building and street is splendid embelished with pennants, bought or selfmade Ramadan lanterns, small colourful lamps and light rallies (see picture above). This means for tourists to accept some restrictions of life. So during the time between dawn and sunset no Egyptian likes to find somebody smoking, drinking or eating in public areas like in the street. Because these enjoyments - like some more others - for Muslim people are forbidden during daytime. However, who is thinking that it is important for him/her for example to eat a banana directly in front of a fruit stand or - what we saw by our own eyes an English lady did - to stroll along the Corniche, in one hand a can of cola in the other hand a cigarette, he/she has to take in account, he/she will be involved in fierce duscussions. If you do something like this, the people will take it as an affront to the Islamic religion.

For the west bank of Luxor Ramadan means, that many restaurants stop to serve you any alcoholic drink. To have a lunch, to have (soft-)drinks and to smoke is allowed in all restaurants during daytime. And there are also some places they offer you a beer or a wine. But especially at the time of sunset you will find a shortage of waiters. Then they will have the "iftar", the so called breakfast, their first meal since around 3.30 a.m. Of course all the waiters, chefs and cooks are hungry andthursty too. So for about half an hour you will find absolutely peace and quiet. But as a customer now you have to wait a little bit till the waiter finishes his breakfast (shown in the picture right: The "NileValley" team takes their "iftar" beside the building directly on the street. By the way: everybody who is just passing by at this time is invited to join them with their meal). Therefore all guests of public places should take the chance and enjoy this half hour with unusual silence. It still can be a little problem to arrange a meeting lets say with a guide or an Egyptian tour leader in this time after 4 p.m. Because then everybody is rushing to home, to reach his family at the time of "iftar".

Also if you arrange a meeting "after the breakfast" you cannot be sure about the time. Some Egyptians will come immediately when "iftar" is finished, what means 30 minutes or one hour after sunset. Some others prefer to got to the mosque at first. In this case the meaning of "after the breakfast" can be, it will need up to two hours after sunset to meet the friend. However, it it always better to arrange a meeting for an exact time!

This year the Egyptians see a slump in tourism during Ramadan. Like many other responsible people Reinhold Johann, General Manager at the hotel "jolie ville Mövenpick" in Luxor, says: "We find a slump, it is a slack period." Although just now in Upper Egypt the touristic high season starts. The newspaper "Al Ahram weekly" (issue 14. 11. - 20. 11. 2002) is thinking, the reason are wrong informations by travel agencies abroad. Nearly imploring the newspaper tells, that the life for tourists in restaurants and hotels will go its "normal" way. Only in the streets Egyptians are looking for the respect to Ramadan. But a visit to Egypt during Ramadan will give tourists an added culturel experience. This article sounds like an urgent appeal on acceptance.

Like in the years befor also this year the prices of foodstuffs increased already befor beginning of Ramadan. Bakckground: During the holy month Egyptian people consume more than the double of food as in "normal" monthes. Of course another point is the economical crisis in Egypt, connected with a devaluation of the Egyptian Pound (L.E.) to the key curreny, the US-Dollar. That means imported products become more and more expensive.

So the "Al Ahram weekly" (issue 7. 11. - 13. 11. 2002) lamented in an article concerning this subject, that the prices for imported dried fruits - a must as part of the "iftar" - were increasing about40 per cent. But in the same time the amount of imported goods decreased for around 50 per cent. Also rice, sugar and poultry became much more expensive. That's why many people cannot pay anymore the basic food for "iftar" lamented the newspaper.

But one thing tops everything. The dates (picture left: dried dates, like here in our vegetable shop in the village El Gezira, are offered everwhere by sacks), traditionally the starter to break everyone's daily fast in this period, the so-called breakfast for foreigners, are served in the beginning of "iftar" with water or milk. Now politics starts to play a role. In Cairo one kilogram of the best quality cost about LE 24 up to 27 (round about Euro 5.20 up to 5.80). Every year the venders give their dates names. This year they call this high quality dates "Saddam Hussein" and "Yassir Arafat". The dates of worst quality are available for only one pound or LE 1.50 (ca, Euro-cent 22 up to 32). These dates are named "Ariel Sharon" and "George Bush". It looks like a macabre game. Because some poor people don’t buy the cheap dates because of the names.

Worth to notice: Next year the Ramadan will start approx. around 27 October. If the crescent of the new moon likes to rise up in time... (November 2002)