Muna Al Fuzai

I am against the idea of taking a holiday during the month of Ramadan, as I consider work as worship, but I have a different opinion this year. Many people see it as a month of eating and sleeping, with no consideration for the sacredness and meaning of this month. If you have work to complete during Ramadan in the daytime, you will get bored and frustrated by the frequent disruptions, and only if you are lucky you finish all your work as expected.





Why do people not work as usual during Ramadan? It is a very confusing question because everyone is eager to eat instead of working. I had to visit some government offices and I noticed that the working hours during Ramadan are only two hours. The actual working hours are from 10 am to 2 pm in most places, but the truth is that by 1 pm, many don't want to work.





Productivity is not associated with fasting. It is a chance to prove that fasting is part of faith, strength and stability at work, as we all say work is worship, and fasting is worship too. But the way many people behave during this month affects their daytime activities. Clearly, many people are focused on food, so that it has become part of the customs and traditions of Arab and Muslim countries.





I am also surprised with the overcrowding at restaurants to the point that it's difficult to go to any place without prior reservation. So the image set here is that Ramadan is only associated with food. These ideas should not be the only projection Muslims send to the world. Unfortunately, the truth is that we not only need to consider the problem of wastage of food, but also need to increase awareness on this subject. It requires a lot of effort from everyone.





The Civil Service Commission has announced that Eid Al-Fitr holidays will be for five days starting from July 5. Sunday, July 10 will be the day to resume work.





Happy Eid!



By Muna Al-Fuzai

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