We Are Not Numbers x MuslimMatters – Ramadan In The Time Of Genocide

by Wejdan Wajdy Abu Shammala

Content writer, voice-over artist, and translator

Ramadan is the time of year closest to the hearts of Muslims around the world.  During this month, Gaza has a special and distinctive atmosphere. This year, Ramadan came in the time of genocide.

Ramadan in Gaza: Before 

Usually, the people of Gaza start preparations for Ramadan several days before: families begin buying Ramadan decorations to decorate their homes to mark the rituals of Islam, and also to give a special touch to this holy month. Ramadan lights, decorations, and welcoming phrases are abundantly present in Gaza, in its homes, and in its streets.

Families begin purchasing ingredients for Ramadan’s distinctive cuisine: Qamar al-Din (a dessert made from dried apricots), samosas, pickles of various kinds, and plenty more. The markets during Ramadan are overcrowded and full of goods.

A snapshot of ordinary Ramadan festivities in Gaza, with families busy making sweets and exchanging visits.

One of the distinctive parts of Ramadan in Gaza is Alqataif. If you go down any street, you will find Alqataif vendors at every corner selling this special Ramadan dessert. Families buy these crescent-shaped pastry shells, stuff them with either nuts or coconut with yogurt, fry them, and then dip them into sugar syrup. After iftar, the evening meal that breaks the day’s fasting, they eat them while they drink coffee.

Once iftar is finished, people in Gaza begin preparing to go to the mosque to perform Taraweeh prayers, which are performed only during Ramadan. People go to the mosque to pray in an atmosphere filled with joy, comfort, and peace; after prayer, people meet to exchange greetings and conversation.

During Ramadan in Gaza, the markets are full of people walking together, eating ice cream or other sweets, and preparing to buy Eid al-Fitr holiday clothes.

The month of Ramadan in Gaza means goodness is everywhere. Feasts are held, relatives and other loved ones meet and eat breakfast together, followed by dessert. During the holy month of Ramadan, Gazans pay special attention to the needy and the poor, sending them food and drinks to show their consideration and love.

During Ramadan, before dawn prayers, people begin to prepare Suhoor, the meal that people eat before fasting for the day. Simple breakfast-like dishes are prepared that help them fast. Usually, this meal includes many fruits and vegetables, some cheeses, different types of yogurt (such as labneh), and other dishes, such as spicy fried potatoes.  People eat until the muezzin, the man who calls out prayers from the minaret of the mosque, announces dawn prayers, and then everyone stops eating.

Ramadan in Gaza: Now

Ramadan in Gaza has come at a time of very difficult conditions for all of Gaza: Gazans are lacking the most basic human needs of safe shelter, adequate food, and drinking water.

With the arrival of Ramadan, in Gaza, there are 2 million people displaced from their homes. Many of them live in tents and in difficult circumstances: cold weather can be a major challenge, especially for children and the elderly.

Food and water is scarce. Sanitation is often a major problem, and this can lead to the spread of disease. All of these are happening under constant bombing. Imagine living in a tent of only 10-20 square meters, a place in which a whole family cooks, eats, bathes, and sleeps, and, especially, never knowing whether or not the Israeli occupation forces’ raids will reach this place, which offers nowhere to take shelter. Such is home during this year’s Ramadan for the people of Gaza, nothing at all like their safe homes where they lived before.

Ramadan is here, but families are scattered in different places. Siblings, cousins, and friends can’t easily meet each other, as each one is far away from the others. In order to meet, they have to go through a series of difficult transportation challenges due to the fuel shortage in Gaza. They ride in donkey carts or cargo trucks that are not normally suitable for people, or in small vans that are normally used to transport building materials.

Ramadan is here, but mothers and fathers have lost their children, and children have lost their fathers and mothers. Chairs around the table are empty, hearts are broken, souls are bleeding with pain. 

Ramadan is here, but Gaza is shrouded in an oppressive darkness due to the lack of electricity. The traditional lights illuminating the streets are missing; there are no Ramadan decorations adorning people’s homes.

People cannot stroll the streets with the same sense of security as before. Ramadan sweets, ice cream, coffee, and even the usual landmarks of shops and markets are all absent, gone, destroyed. 

Ramadan reality in Gaza this year: cooking over firewood amid a food scarcity.

Ramadan is here, but food and drinks are scarce in Gaza. Amidst the ongoing aggression, Gaza faces not only the physical onslaught but the equally devastating crisis of starvation. The blockade leaves families struggling to secure basic necessities: limited access to food, water, medical supplies, and electricity. Many Gazans break their fast with only a watery soup; water and a bit of flavoring to break their fasting and alleviate their hunger. As for beverages, the only option available in Gaza this Ramadan is water. Most fruits have not entered the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the aggression, leaving many Gazans wondering if the taste of fruit has changed. Even if some vegetables are available, they are scarce and expensive.

Ramadan has come, and Gaza is filled with the sounds of bombs and rockets, the smell of gunpowder, the sight of rubble and destruction, and the feelings of grief and sadness. People are often too afraid to go to mosques to perform the traditional Ramadan evening Taraweeh prayers because the occupation forces deliberately target mosques and gatherings. After darkness falls, people are scared to go out. In fact, most people cannot go to mosques to perform Taraweeh prayers simply because there is nowhere to go: more than 600 mosques have been destroyed, leaving no place to pray either.

Before, Ramadan in Gaza would see children strolling with their families after the breaking of the fast, their hands clutching bags of treats and crisps. They would fill the parks with laughter and play, their hearts brimming with happiness and excitement. But now, sleep eludes them, replaced by anxiety. Instead of running and playing, they stand in long queues with their families, waiting for food and water.

The innocence of childhood has been stolen, replaced by the harsh realities of hunger and thirst. The carefree spirit of Ramadan has been extinguished by the shadow of aggression and poverty.

Instead of holding Ramadan lanterns and rejoicing at its arrival, Gazan children now carry buckets to fetch water and pots to gather food.

In the midst of bombardment and hunger, the echoes of explosions drown out the joyous spirit of the holy month, children endure the grim reality of fear and deprivation.  Instead of relishing in the delights of Iftar, they live with empty stomachs and shattered dreams.

Ramadan is here, but most people in Gaza have no Suhoor, the early morning meal before fasting begins, due to food scarcity. They prefer to save what little food they have for Iftar.

Hence, in Gaza, the call to Fajr, the dawn prayer, has been changed to “There remain three minutes before Fajr prayer”  instead of  “Cease eating and drinking.” The muezzins know that many Gazans have no food or drink and do not want to remind them of their hardships.

Ramadan is here, but the hearts of Gaza’s people are aching, loss has consumed their souls, hunger fills the streets, and people are living amidst the smell of blood and violence. The sound of warplanes disrupts any moment of peace or security. There is no safety or tranquility in Gaza.

Related:

– We Are Not Numbers x MuslimMatters

– We Are Not Numbers x MuslimMatters – Faith Is Our Way Of Resistance – MuslimMatters.org