Ramadan Greetings From MLA Shane Getson

April 24, 2020 marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan and would end on the EID day of May 23/24, 2020.

MLA Shane Getson would like to extend his greetings to all Albertans on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

Significance of Ramadan for Mulsims

The month of Ramadan traditionally begins with a new moon sighting, marking the start of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Ramadan in many countries is also known as Ramzan and culminates into a holiday in the Islamic nations by the celebration of EID. India which is a secular country with 14.2percent or 200 Million Muslims also celebrates EID as a national holiday.

Muslims across the globe with the exception of children, the sick and the elderly abstain from food, drink, and certain other activities during daylight hours in Ramadan.

On a typical Ramadan day, fasting is observed from dawn to dusk and the fast is traditionally opened with the family by citing a short prayer and having few drops of water to quench the thirst after many hours of fast that includes abstaining from any drink except water. It is believed that the rules of Ramadan are so strict that it is even disallowed to drink one’s own saliva. The meal after the day-long fast, when broken, is called IFTAR. A number of community dinners are organized throughout this month although due to the pandemic of Covid-19, all gatherings have been cancelled and most of the prayers are taking place virtually.

Across the globe, Ramzan month is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability the people practising the faith and religion of Islam. According to traditional belief, the first verses of the Quran – the holy book of the Islamic religion was revealed by The Prophet Mohammad.

Many Muslims broaden their compassion for the hungry and less fortunate when they fast. Therefore, Ramadan is also a time for many Muslims to donate to charity by participating in food drives for the poor and other voluntary activities. Muslims are encouraged to be charitable during Ramadan.

People of Islamic faith are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an during Ramadan. Some Muslims recite the entire Qur’an by the end of Ramadan through special prayers known as Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a section of the Qur’an is recited.

Businesses and organizations that follow the faith of Islam may amend opening and closing hours to suit prayer times during Ramadan in Canada. There may also be some traffic congestions around the areas where the mosques are located – especially during the prayer times after the sun-set. Many shops and restaurants remain open till late nights and festivities carry on till the late hours though this year due to the pandemic mass gatherings have been called off.

Meet MLA Shane Getson Here

MLA Shane Getson will be attending a post-EID meet on May 30^, 2020 at the Canadian Islamic Centre in Edmonton. He will be meeting the Arabic, Turkish and Pakistani community leaders. All the guidelines of social distancing due to the pandemic – will be followed.