Overheard in the Souk
the grapevine
It’s just two more days to go before the Holy Month of Ramadan and the time for fasting, introspection and prayer for our Muslim brethren.
It’s also the apt time to do charity and show kindness to others. Working hours will be shortened during Ramadan making way for more free time to be with family and friends. On the other hand, people working in the hospitality industry especially those in the restaurants will be up till the wee hours of the morning though they can spend the whole day sleeping.
For all those who want to shed off the excess baggage, Ramadan is the best time to embark on a healthy diet as no temptation abounds with all the restaurants closed at daytime. Well, that is if you don’t food binge during iftar or ghabqa. The Holy Month of Ramadan offers numerous possibilities but we should not forget its true essence why it’s being observed every year.
It is a great time to be a child in school. The overlapping of the Holy Month of Ramadan and the ample Eid holidays that follow, together with the annual summer break has compelled a longer respite from scholastic pursuits. One can only hope that these luxuries of childhood won’t be wasted behind a screen. Vacations are to be spent out in the sun — playing games, telling stories, and making enough memories to be fondly remembered in the dour years of adulthood.
Muslims around the world will soon embrace the Holy Month of Ramadan and they are obliged to fast 29 or 30 days of this month and get abundant reward from Almighty Allah. During this month, rich people are more generous to distribute money and food to the needy.
For some traders, the month of Ramadan is the season for making profits by hiking prices of consumer goods to as much as twice the original cost. They take advantage of the high demand of these goods to raise the prices higher.
As a result, several lawmakers have called on the government to intensify its monitoring machine on the markets, shops and cooperative societies to avoid any manipulation of prices of consumer goods during this month. Fortunately, the Parliament has approved such a demand. Now, the ball is in the court of the government and surely everyone including citizens and expatriates will give the government a round of applause if it is really able to stop the greedy traders from exploiting this holy month.