Ramadan renews debate on policing piety for Muslims

Attitudes differ across Asia about forcing other members of faith to follow rules of holy month

As Ramadan enters its final days, there has been renewed debate about piety and whether behaviour during the Islamic holy month should be policed.

In Singapore, where about 15 per cent of the population is Muslim, a viral video has emerged showing a woman scolding an Indonesian worker for eating during daylight hours, threatening to report her to the city’s Islamic council. Internet users rushed to the worker’s defence, insisting she was entitled to observe Ramadan in her own way.

During Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat, drink, smoke or have sex from sunrise to sunset. But Mohammad Imran Mohamed Taib, founder of the Centre for Interfaith Understanding in Singapore, said Muslims who were fasting should be mindful of their own conduct and not be quick to anger.

“The rules pertaining to fasting apply to individuals who are fasting,” Imran said. “They do not apply to people who are not fasting or to the general public. For example, a person who is fasting has no right to stop another person who is not fasting from eating or drinking.”

There were also exemptions to fasting, Imran said, including a person who was ill and needed to take medication; a woman who was menstruating, or pregnant and feared for her own safety or that of her child; and anyone who was on a long journey.

Despite these exemptions, examples of community policing have emerged, including in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where some non-Muslims have resorted to placing their identity cards on restaurant tables to avoid being questioned by authorities or members of the public.

Malaysia has stricter provisions for consuming and serving food during Ramadan than Indonesia or Singapore, although these apply only to Muslims.

“Each state in Malaysia has its respective state enactments which make it an offence for Muslims to eat and drink in public during the month of Ramadan,” said Lim Wei Jiet, a dispute resolution lawyer.

“[In Kuala Lumpur], a person can be fined up to 1,000 ringgit [HK$1,890] or sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, or both. The same provision also applies to selling food and drinks.”

In neighbouring Indonesia, there is no nationwide ban on serving or consuming food and drink but local restrictions and sensibilities apply.

The only province in Indonesia with sanctions during Ramadan is semi-autonomous Aceh, which follows sharia law.

“From the time of our ancestors, we always observed not selling or eating food in public during Ramadan,” said Nasier Husen, a journalist from Aceh.

“The sharia rules have just made it more official, but in previous times in villages around Aceh, it was common for people to have their restaurants raided by concerned citizens and their food thrown away.

“People can eat if they want but they need to do so at home. They can’t do it in public because Acehnese people believe in respecting other people who are fasting and respecting the Muslim holy month. Not eating in public is our way of showing solidarity to our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world. It is more of a cultural phenomenon than a legal one.”

Imran in Singapore said attitudes to fasting were bound to vary. “There are different conceptions of what it means to be religious,” he said. “One’s piety can either be outward-driven or inner-driven. An outward type of religiosity seeks conformity of other [people] to one’s own ideas and conduct. An inner type of religiosity is more concerned about one’s own internal state of piety and spirituality.

“As for Muslims who are devoted to their religion, they should reconnect with the deep spiritual reservoir of Islam that teaches and promotes goodwill and commendable behaviour.”

Muslims should use Ramadan to seek reconciliation instead of creating discord by reprimanding or policing others, he added.

“Religious policing and vigilantism should have no place in an open, democratic and plural society that has deep diversity both across and within a religious or non-religious community,” Imran said.

Acehnese people believe in respecting other people who are fasting JOURNALIST NASIER HUSEN