U.S. plans to keep bombing during
Ramadan stir debate in Uzbekistan
By Joseph Giordono,
Stars and Stripes
Joseph Giordono / Stars and Stripes
Muslim men in Karshi, Uzbekistan, pray in preparation for Ramadan, which begins Nov. 16.
Some of the men fear that continuing the military campaign through the holy month could
incite fundamentalists in their country. |
KARSHI, Uzbekistan — As the call to prayer rings through the largest mosque in the
impoverished city of Karshi, about 200 miles north of Afghanistan, another reverberates
through the faithful: a call to halt the fighting during Ramadan.
The Muslim holy month begins around Nov. 16 [technically, it begins with the first
appearance of the new crescent moon during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, so in
some places it begins on a different day]. Ramadan marks a time of fasting and prayer.
It’s a time when men should not harm others, according to one of the religion’s
edicts.
| What is
Ramadan? Ramadan is
a special month of the year for more than 1 billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a
time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their
everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation. Muslims think of it as a kind
of refocusing for their spiritual lives.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Muslim calendar. The month of Ramadan is also when it is believed the Holy Quran "was
sent down from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of
salvation."
The much-anticipated start of the
month is based on a combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical
calculations — that means Ramadan can begin on different days in different places.
It is during this month that
Muslims fast. According to the Islamic Society of North America, the first day of fasting
for Ramadan this year is Nov. 16 in North America. It begins on Nov. 15 in lands farther
east.
During the monthlong Fast of
Ramadan, strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed
to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations also are forbidden
during fasting. At the end of the day, the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called
the iftar. Afterward, Muslims go out visiting family and friends. The fast is
resumed the next morning. Sick people, travelers and some women under certain
circumstances are exempted from the fast.
The good that is acquired through
the fast can be destroyed by five things — the telling of a lie; slander; denouncing
someone behind his back; a false oath; or greed or covetousness. These are considered
offensive at all times, but are most offensive during the Fast of Ramadan.
When the fast ends, it is
celebrated for three days in a holiday, the Feast of Fast Breaking. Gifts are exchanged.
Friends and family gather to pray and for large meals. In some cities, fairs are held to
celebrate the end of the Fast of Ramadan.
Sources: Ramadan
Information Center, Ramadan on the Net |
That point has become the center of the debate swirling inside the Muslim community:
Should the U.S.-led campaign continue its war on terrorism during Ramadan?
In Uzbekistan, where 90 percent of the population is Muslim, many people support the
U.S.-led fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. But they also fear a violent backlash
by those who will use the bombings during Ramadan as a way to garner more anti-American
support.
U.S. authorities announced last week that fighting against the ruling Taliban
government and al-Qaida targets will not pause during the holy month.
Uzbekistan faces terrorist-linked enemies inside its borders, as well as from its
neighbors in Central Asia, many said. People living in the former Soviet bloc nation added
that the threat increased when 1,000 U.S. troops and aircraft started using a former
Soviet airbase in Khanabad just outside of Karshi.
"If there are really military troops here and they are involved in bombing during
Ramadan, we may become the No. 1 enemy for terrorists," said Mahmoud, a Karshi oilman
who was attending prayers at the Kok Gumbaz mosque. Mahmoud declined to give his last name
for fear of reprisals.
"It must be as the Americans agreed and not be a war against Muslims," he
said. "They must do everything they can to try and stop for Ramadan. If they do not,
the friends of our enemy may become our enemy."
Joseph Giordono / Stars and Stripes
A Muslim man uses "worry beads" to recite the 99 names of God at a mosque in
Karshi, Uzbekistan. |
But a holy month does not mean a time for the enemy to regroup.
"The enemy won’t rest during Ramadan, and neither will we," President
Bush said last week. "We’re going to pursue this war until we achieve our
objective."
That announcement rankled some Muslim leaders, as well as important U.S. allies.
Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who has opened some bases to U.S.
forces, has faced severe criticism from fundamentalists in his country for supporting the
United States. He has suggested curtailing the campaign during Ramadan.
"One would hope for restraint during the month of Ramadan because continuing the
battle would certainly have some negative effects in the Muslim world," he said last
weekend.
Some Muslim observers in the United States agreed with that view but have not requested
a complete halt of the war on terrorism.
| Islam's Five
Pillars of Faith As
part of their Islam religion, Muslims have five duties they must perform, called the Five
Pillars of Faith. They are:
1) The testimony of faith.
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, "There is no true god but God
[Allah], and Muhammad is the Messenger [Prophet] of God." The testimony of faith is
the most important pillar of Islam.
2) Five prayers a day.
Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct
link between the worshipper and God. Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, midafternoon,
sunset and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere.
3) Giving zakat [support to
the needy]. All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human
beings in trust. Giving zakat means "giving a specified percentage on certain
properties to certain classes of needy people." Possessions are purified by setting
aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting
back balances and encourages new growth.
4) Fasting the month of
Ramadan. Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until
sundown, abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations. Although the fast is beneficial
to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification.
5) The pilgrimmage to
Mecca. The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is an obligation once in a lifetime for
those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About 2 million people go to
Mecca each year from around the world.
Sources:
Islam Guide, Ramadan Information Center |
"The United States must be very careful at this time to stick to its pronouncement
that it is targeting terrorists and not a religion," said Maher Hatout, a
representative of the Muslim Public Affairs Counsel in Los Angeles.
"The military and politicians must be very sensitive to the situations in other
nations right now," he said — situations that could quickly ignite out of
control.
More than 10,000 protesters marched against the U.S.-led campaign in Pakistan last
week. Thousands shouted for Musharraf to leave office, "the sooner, the better."
The U.S. decision to continue its bombing campaign will only increase the pressure from
religious groups in Pakistan and elsewhere, Hatout said.
But U.S. military officials said that halting operations for a month, especially just
before the harsh Afghan winter, could shut down many operations — and, ultimately,
help the Taliban.
Former Soviet military officials with experience in the decadelong Soviet-Afghan war
agree.
Any pause would only allow Taliban forces a chance to regroup, resupply and gather
strength, they said.
Kendra Helmer / Stars and Stripes
The crowds are so large at Tashkent's largest mosque that many men must line
up outside to pray. |
"We never stopped our operations for the month of Ramadan because it simply did
not make military sense to do so," said Maksud Yoldashev, a former Soviet general and
a member of an Uzbek veterans’ group. "War is war. Unfortunately, there are many
things that you cannot respect if you want to be victorious."
At the largest mosque in the capital city of Tashkent last Friday — the Muslim day
of prayer — a respected Imam delivered a sermon on the approach of Ramadan and
obliquely criticized the U.S. decision to continue its military campaign. In Uzbekistan,
government officials screen and edit all religious sermons.
"It is very useful for the body and the spirit to fast during Ramadan," said
Imam Rhamatullah Qori, leader of the Shaih Zainuddin mosque, told the gathering of about
1,500 men and boys. "Be afraid of God during this time. Do not harm others. Be kind
to everyone."
Kendra Helmer / Stars and Stripes
A Muslim man washes at a mosque, a requirement for all before entering. |
After the sermon, many seemed to struggle with the decision facing the U.S. leaders.
"I know that the American government respects Muslims because Mr. George Bush has
said that the American people respect Muslims," said Qamariddin Magzum, a 78-year-old
former journalist and World War II veteran. "But it does not matter for a soldier if
he is a Muslim when he is killing someone. I think that they should do nothing during
Ramadan. Islamic law forbids it."
Others cautioned about the possible backlash to U.S. policy.
"The United States is not a Muslim country, so they do not pay attention to our
beliefs and the importance of things like Ramadan," said Bahadir Halikov, a
25-year-old religion student. "I think that the whole Muslim world is one body. If
you cut off an arm, the whole body will feel the pain.
Kendra Helmer / Stars and Stripes
Muslim men pray at Tashkent, Uzbekistan's largest mosque. |
"It is the problem of the United States and the Taliban. Uzbekistan must not get
mixed up in this. I cannot blame the Taliban completely because they consider themselves
Muslims," Halikov said. "But I cannot blame the U.S. because they believe they
are fighting against evil."
It’s a fight the United States intends to win, according to Gen. Richard B. Myers,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"If we go back to the events of 11 September of this year, when innocent people
were intentionally targeted, people of all races, of all colors, of all religions
died," Myers said last week. "We’re at war against terrorism. The fact that
we’re coming up on Ramadan, this war will have to continue."
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