Ramadan

Best, if they arent Muslims why would it look bad?

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"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

Clear your doubts

You will not be in trouble if some1 caught YOU eating in a CAR but it does not look good that most of the people are fasting and you alone are eating.

Its an Islamic country and there will be few islamic rules which you have to follow. Thats all

Please i do not think we need to discuss anything about it NOW coz we have not heard or red any incident about this.

Enjoy the weather guys

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

you seems to be very fresh to Middle east culture and rules; will learn with experience. Anyways Welcome to Qatar!

The non-muslim construction workers eat and drink in public during the day, come on guys, it isnt like a construction site is a public access area :)

I fast because I choose to, I dont think everyone else needs to fast because of my choice but... being a muslim country it is law to make the fasting easier on the population. Before anyone talks about expats not being muslim remember ALL Qataris are muslim, and this is Qatar :)

It is fine for children to eat in public during Ramadan, and if you are eating and drinking discretly in your car and such you wont have any problems. Strolling down the Corniche with a Latte and a cigarette may cause you some problems.

Not everyone has your level of respect Miss :) you doing it out of respect more than by legal obligation means so much more.

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"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

Wow I am really impressed with all the responses. I opened the thread prepared to be insulted or at least beaten down with some religious doctrine. But I can not fault any of your responses. They were sensible, well articulated, and intelligent.

I definitely agree that is about respect to not eat in public when people are trying to fast. But again I have to ask, is it respect when you are forced to do it by law?

I would gladly not eat in public during Ramadan, but I think it shows more respect that I choose not to do it, rather than not do it because of the threat of punishment looming over me.

No bars or clubs open :(

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Restaurants are open in UAE during Ramadan I believe?

during the month of Ramadan, secondly in peak summer, they work late night or start very early morning to avoid working at the peak heating hours.

I have no idea. I'm sincerely hoping that they change the laws...

Hmm...wonder how the construction workers would fare this Ramadan. and I mean both fasting and non-fasting people. even a mid day break is not really gonna ease the kind water intake requirement.

It's not that difficult to understand. This is a majority Muslim country, therefore if everyone is fasting during the day its not really econmically feasible to open your restaurant for lunch, since no one will go and you won't have enough staff to open it anyway.

As for eating in front of fasting muslims, well that's just cruel.

The only think I disagree with is not allowing people to drink water in public, especially as Ramadan starts in August this year.

I am a peace loving guy and prefer to avoid clashes as much as possible.

The level of maturity and understanding between different cultures will allow people to accomodate and better understanding with each other.

I agree that this could allow a bigger and better society to exist and survive peacefully in one country or nation. I don't think anybody applying any force to change anything.

Also, the traditional Arab temperament(like quite a few other cultures from across the world) revolves around practices needed to co-exist in a clan. Codes of behaviour in a clan revolves around conformity and social acceptance in the clan was one of the essentials to survival. this required adhering to some central themes regardless of whether they were practical( in a modern sense) at a grass root level or not.

If you contrast this with, say, American culture, every single individual who crossed the atlantic had his own reason for going there. Existance revolved around strong emphasis on individuality and independence. it was each man finding his own means and making his own destiny, ofcourse with staying within certain defined boundaries which were not as restricive as it would have been in if it was in a clannish environment.

VB: Why would you want to remove cultural differences. IMHO, diversity is what makes the world a more interesting place. More than removal, it is about deciding what you can accept and what you cant based on what your core values are.

If you feel that what you cant accept is predominant, then you decide whether something could be done with mutual consent and benefit or whether its just YOU. If its the latter, you move on.

Maybe I am jus too lazy, but I do believe that quite a lot of issues sort themselves out if you give them enuf time. Forcing someone to change will only induce recalcitrance.

Great explanation about cultural clashes/differences but Is there a way to remove or reduce this?

I feel let people to identify and understand first then we could think about.

Miss X: You have to read this in context with how things are done here. The region is still in the process of reconciling with the presence of a HUGE expat population and the cultural implications that it brings along. In fact they are quite a loss on how to strike a balance between what their culture demands them to do and what could be practicably implemented with expats from different cultures.Also, this should be seen in a cultural perspective than a muslim perspective, I guess. Most muslims, wont mind if they see someone eating or drinking during Ramadan.

Its more about the administrations 'perception' about what they OUGHT TO be doing to support the faith around which their country revolves. Going at this issue with a western/liberal viewpoint would only exasperate you.

This ban is applied only in the Middle East

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MissX, you are getting it all worng, its not temptation, its RESPECT. I don't agree with the ban (eating in car) but that might be due to the fact that I grew up in non muslim country where everyone around me enjoyed their meals while i fasted :) and it didn't bother or tempted me a bit. Muslims really look forward to this blessing month, least of their worry is food/drink :)

Rofl MissX that was indeed a very good example, dont get me started with the men-rape-prison thing now :p my mind is just itching to say something on that...hehehe no access to women hehehe ok *slaps himself* snap out of it

See in other countries there is no such ban of not eating in public coz they are not muslim countries, pardon me if i'm wrong and may be thats not the case elsewhere either (i'm but a kat in the well) then again, ask yourself how many other such laws in Qatar make sense to you :P Also its not about taking temptation out of the entire picture so you wont be tempted. the fact that its a strict muslim country, its required that they fast. And BTW Its better you dont rack your pretty head about all this :) eat tummy full at home before you get out :p

Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)

_[]~SMoKE~[]_

smoking, drinking and eating by an adult is not allowed during ramadan in public just a respect to other people, who are fasting.

Your example not fitting in this case, please read the presentation, will provide more understanding about Ramadan. Even those who could not fast such as small children, pregnant women, old persons, travellers, etc) can eat at Home or in privacy.

1) Muslim / Islamic Country.

2) Majority population is muslim.

3) Respect for special month (Ramadan)

4) Learn more about Ramadan and its benefit.

5) No force on non - believers but don't make a Road show (in public).

One need to understand the real objective of fasting (in your words self control over temptations and not cheating),

Please read the Following thread and check the presentations to understand more about Ramadan.....

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/436615

I do understand that it is a muslim country. But I still do not understand the very strict ban. But from what I know about Islam, is that if you stray from the path, there are ways to redeem yourself. For example if you do eat during Ramadan you must make it up at a later date. This shows an awareness that people do stray from the path, so it is a good test of faith and will if you manage to stay on the path.

It almost seems to me that the lawmakers are scared that people will not be able to remain fasting if they do not remove the temptation first.

As an extreme example it is like banning a man from raping a woman, and then locking him up in a cell with men. Of course he will be able to follow the ban, but was it because he was banned, or because he had no access to women?

I don't know a whole lot about it but, maybe the public eating places are closed during the day because some of the employees are Muslims too. It would make it hard for them to serve food when they are fasting I would think.

Motherhood...The hardest job you'll ever love! : )

To answer this to the best of my ability, NO its not cheating...you have to understand that this is first a MUSLIM country, if we take out each and every expat, that leaves only people of muslim faith in Qatar, then yes it makes sense to ban eating anything anywhere in public for them :)However just coz there are expats here from different other religions, i dont see why they should change their laws about Ramadan. We have to respect it si?

Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)

_[]~SMoKE~[]_

I am a muslim, and I don't think it has anything to do with temptation, Once you been fasting, theood or smell of food don't bother you anymore. Its funny that once ramadan is over, most of us have to remind ourself that we can eat now :) But as far as the ban is concerned, I never agreed with that, it's not only wrong to force non muslim from eating, but their are also number of elderly, sick,and children exempt from fasting during ramadan. I can umderstand a ban in public place maybe, but car? I just don't agree..

Respect other people, their beliefs and their faith and earn respect as well. I was here in ramadan last year, and we eat also but we keep our voice low and we close the door so that my other office mates will not smell the food. For them it's tempting and to avoid temptation they just don't want to see us eating.