Fasting won't affect work, top ulema says

Fasting won't affect work, top ulema says

JAKARTA (JP): The Ramadhan fasting month, which begins this Wednesday, should not slow down the daily activity of Moslems even though they will be going without food and drink for the entire day, says the chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council.

"If Moslems truly live up to the spirit of the fasting, I'm confident that their work won't be affected," Hasan Basri told the Antara news agency on Saturday. "Basically, they're still eating. They're just rearranging their eating schedule."

The fasting month will begin on Feb. 1, and for the next 29 or 30 days (depending on when the new moon is sighted), Moslems may not eat or drink between dawn and dusk. For most, this also means getting up before dawn for their last meal before starting the day.

Although ulemas have repeatedly said that fasting should not affect people's daily activities, in practice the pace of work has tended to slow down, especially during the first few days of the fasting month, as people struggle to adjust to the new schedule.

Hasan Basri also reminded Indonesian Moslems that fasting is not simply about not eating and drinking during the day time. Fasting is a time for self-control and greater discipline.

"Fasting is about refraining from doing things forbidden by Allah, such as lying, slandering, getting angry, or being lazy or corrupt. Fasting also trains people to work hard and encourages introspection," he said.

Hasan Basri said that the biggest challenge in fasting is in fighting off one's desires. He called this jihad akbar (the great holy war).

Responding to a question, he said that although there is nothing to prevent Moslems from watching television during the day, they must not get worked up over the programs. "They should switch off the television set if they have to."

The chief ulema called on television stations in the country to respect Indonesian Moslems and refrain from airing programs that could disturb their fast.

Meanwhile, two experts have said that most people with gastroenteritis and diabetes should be able to fast. The two illnesses are the most commonly cited reasons for not fasting.

Good

Ismail Ali, a digestion and liver diseases specialist, said that fasting is good for people with gastroenteritis.

"Some people have even been cured after fasting," Ismail, a staff lecturer at the University of Indonesia, told Antara.

Ismail said most of the gastroenteritis cases in Indonesia were psychosomatic, resulting largely from stress, irregular blood pressure and disorderly eating habits.

"But, given that most people have got gastroenteritis as a result of disorderly eating habit, fasting will do them a lot of good because they will be eating more regularly," he said. It is not surprising therefore that some people have been cured of the disease after fasting the whole month, he added.

He also warned against excessive eating during the break of the fast which would, he said, upset the digestive system: "Any part of our body gets upset if it is forced to work suddenly without a warming up period."

Pradana Soewondo, a diabetes specialist at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta, said that a diabetes sufferer whose insulin and glucose content are in order can fast the entire Ramadhan month.

"Fasting can in fact improve the glucose content in some patients and lead to weight reduction, provided they follow the guidelines laid down by their doctor," Pradana said. (emb)