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All kinds of traditional North African deserts can be found in Couronne shops. (IOL Photo) |
PARIS — It's 8:00, only twenty minutes to the iftar. People are walking, chatting and shopping.
But the buzz on the busy street will soon die out as people either head to the mosque for praying or to their homes to break their fast.
It's a typical Ramadan scene, except that it is not a Muslim country but rather Couronne, an immigrant-dominant neighborhood in the heart of Paris.
It's hardly possible to come across a blue-eyed, blonde-haired French on Couronne streets.
Walking down the streets, one picks up conversations moving so smoothly and quickly between French and Arabic.
Muslims from surrounding neighborhoods usually head to Couronne during the day to enjoy the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan.
Others come to shop at Couronne's food, clothes and books markets.
"Many people spend the few minutes before iftar shopping and comparing prices," says Labib, who is originally from Tunisia.
Once the adhan resonates from the Amr bin Al-Khatab mosque at the Jean Pierre Thumbot street, Couronne turns into a ghost city.
People either head to the mosque for their prayer or home to break their dawn-to-dusk fast.
During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.
After iftar, people can be seen heading back to the mosque in groups to join the Tarawih, a nightly prayer performed in Ramadan.
France is home to nearly seven million Muslims, the biggest Muslim minority in Europe.
Shopping Hub
Couronne has made a reputation for being a one-stop destination for Muslim buyers and shoppers.
Fouad Marzouk, a shop owner, says some of his customers come from as far as the suburban neighborhood of Saint-Denis.
"People come from far away because they know that they will find what they want here," he says.
All kinds of traditional North African deserts can be bought in Couronne.
Traditional Ramadan snacks and dishes are also on sale.
Those not interested in food, head to Jean Pierre Thumbot street , where libraries are offering copies of the Noble Qur'an and the latest of Islamic books.
Islamic Video/DVD Store offers a variety of Islamic documentaries and video lectures.
On another section of Couronne, vendors sell jilbabs, loose-fitting dresses that are most sought-after in Ramadan.
"Whatever you want, you will find it in Couronne," boasts Marzouk, the shop owner.
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