Ramadan Tests US Teen Athletes
September 01, 2010 Dora Hasan Mekouar | Washington, DC When the George C. Marshall High School cross country team assembles each day for practice in Falls Church, Virginia, Maha Hassan is not among the runners. Instead, the 16-year-old athlete walks around the school track on her own to try to keep her conditioning up. Hassan is not running this summer because she is observing the Ramadan fast, which means she abstains from all food and drink during the daylight hours. Added challenge The timing of the Muslim fast changes each year. It occurs during the ninth lunar month of the year and begins with the sighting of the new moon. This year the holiday began on August 11,...
Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Begins
Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan, while sweltering heat in the Middle East is putting an extra strain on those who are fasting. Ramadan started earlier than usual this year, although there is some disagreement between the two main sects of Islam on the exact starting date. Sunni Muslims began fasting at dawn Wednesday, while Shi’ites are expected to start Thursday. The discrepancy is due to differing interpretations of the lunar calendar. High heat across much of the Arab world has raised concerns for families, particularly in places like Baghdad and the Gaza Strip, where electricity is routinely cut off for hours at a time. To mark the month of Ramadan, U.S. President Barack...
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