PARIS,
October 27 (IslamOnline.net) - At the advent of Ramadan, declared
Monday, October 27, by the French Council for Islamic Faith, the Arab
and Muslim community in France were prepared for the holy month, with
their school children drawing the attention of the French with their
fasting, at a time when the dispute over Islamic veil has not been
settled yet.
“We
have noticed that the number of those fasting students increases. Some
five years ago, fasting children belonged to religious families, yet
last year many children of ordinary families were keen to fast and
abstained from school restaurants,” Dr. Bouer’s School Principal,
Violet Mario, told IslamOnline.net.
“Of
course, we seek to dissuade those who haven’t come of age from
fasting as it may affect their school performance. They fast for
several days then frequent school restaurants again,” Violet added.
“The
problem is that the breakfast time coincides with class time. So,
fasting students are allowed to eat some dates during the class.
Tolerance of teachers plays an important role in this regard.”
Fasting
phenomenon in schools coincides this year with the dispute over
religious symbols, particularly the Islamic veil.
“Fasting
is not a religious symbol. It does not cause any problem unless it
affects the students’ performance,” Violet pointed out.
Youth
Much Keener
Meanwhile,
at a French Channel Five program on Ramadan, the program presenter
demonstrated that Muslim youths are much keener to fast the holy
month, pointing out that Ramadan acquires special attention among all
Muslim brackets.
Some
experts said that this is due “to the fact that Ramadan has great
psychological influence on Muslim families, particularly with regard
to identity problem faced by second and third immigrant
generations.”
A
day before Ramadan, a large number of shops has been decorated in Arab
densely-populated areas, particularly Paris.
“Ramadan
is an important season for us, as we work almost day and night,”
Suleih Khadem, sweets merchant, said.
On
the most important kinds of sweets during Ramadan, Suleih said,
“Tunisian Baqlawa is the best as its taste appeals to all.”
