Palestinians check a shop selling Ramadan lights in the old city of Jerusalem, May 4, 2019, as Muslims around the world prepare for the announcement of the fasting month of Ramadan which is expected to start on May 5 or 6 depending on the crescent moon. VOA
Most Muslim countries also make it easier for people to fast. Across the Middle East, Ramadan must be observed in public. Which means, even non-Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking and smoking in public. In most of these countries, religious police patrol the streets and violators are usually punished. Most cafes, restaurants and clubs are closed during the day although some hotels serve food in screened-in areas or through room service.
Most public offices and schools are closed and private businesses are encouraged to cut back their hours to accommodate the fasters.
"Being part of an environment or community where fasting is encouraged and accommodated can increase the likelihood of people fasting successfully," Hassan says. "In some Muslim countries, accommodations are provided for fasting, which may not always be the case in the West" or in other non-Muslim nations.
"Observing Ramadan as a minority has its challenges. But it is not significant enough to make it impossible to fast," says Naeem Baig of the Islamic Circle of North America. He says it is made easier because "people from other faiths generally are respectful and supportive towards their Muslim colleagues or neighbors."
Making accommodations
Mansouri, in India, will have to accommodate her fasting while spending weekdays at her job as a teacher in a Hindu school. She says she will try to keep herself busy so as not to think of food when teachers and children take their lunch break.
Similarly, Baig says, "We encourage Muslim parents to inform the schools their children attend and let the teachers know that their children will not be going for lunch break. In most public schools, Muslim children of fasting age can go to the library during lunch and are exempt from PE (physical education)."
Organizations such as the nonprofit Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding work with businesses to help them accommodate the needs of those observing Ramadan.
