Eating in Ramazan

The order that people should not eat or drink in public during Ramazan was given without accounting for the effect it will have on the majority. According to an argument propounded by a writer in an English newspaper, about 50 percent of Pakistani population are exempted from fasting owing to their specific circumstances. This percentage may be higher if we include those whose professions do not permit them to fast – such as pilots while flying.

This ban is in contradiction with Islamic teachings, which suggest that there is no compulsion in Islam. The Almighty has made our religion easy for believers. It is important that the Council of Islamic Ideology to consider some relaxations in the existing law to make the lives of people easier in Ramazan.

M Akram Niazi ( Rawalpindi )