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)