Riyadh tells foreign workers to "respect Ramadan or be expelled"
Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Anyone, Muslims and non-Muslims, caught eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in daylight hours during Ramadan could be imprisoned, whipped and expelled from the kingdom, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said in a statement issued on the eve of the holy month, which begins today in Saudi Arabia.
According to Islamic tradition, the month of Ramadan marks Allah's revelation to Muhammad of the first verses of the Qur'an. Every person above puberty and in good health has to fast from dawn to dusk. Compliance with these rules is one of the five pillars of Islam, a basic duty for every Muslim. Ramadan, the month in prayer, is also associated with peace initiatives and charity.
The measure, adopted by the Interior Minister and confirmed by sources in the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the muttawa or religious police), primarily affects 8 million foreign workers, mostly Asians, who are living at present in the country.
Foreigners caught breaking the fast in public "will be subject to deterrent measures that include terminating their employment contracts and expelling them from the kingdom," the ministry said. "Companies, corporations and individuals are required to inform their employees" of the rules.
In Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Sunni Islam, Sharia is strictly enforced. After he came to the throne in 2005, King Abdullah instituted a timid programme of modernisation, but has met with a tough conservative religious establishment that still exercises wide powers and enjoys strong support in the population.
For the start of Ramadan, more than 30,000 men will be deployed around the Grand Mosque in Makkah "to ensure the safety and security of the guests of God
The Interior Ministry has also instructed the muttawa to intensify checks on the streets.
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23/06/2020 10:42
09/09/2010
