RANDOM RANTS | Ramadan, the Sudanese version

Preparation of Ramadan Breakfast in Khartoum North (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

I have seen two totally different versions of Ramadan, a Normal version – or the non-Sudanese version – where people are happy and start preparing for it mentally and spiritually days or even weeks before it arrives. Then I came to Sudan and witnessed a totally different version of what I am used to.

The normal version of the holy month, in my opinion, is all about being closer to God, being decent, committing fewer sins, and more good deeds. It’s a month with “special offers”, and it’s a chance to fix a lot of personality issues and to clean up a lot of spiritual defects, and of course continue throughout the year. Ramadan outside of Sudan was in fact a lot like this. Everyone was trying to gain more Hasanat, people gathered to eat Iftar meal, went to the mosque together, prayed a lot, read Quran and went to Taraweeh prayer, ate lightly and slept. Perfect, it’s an according-to-the-book Ramadan.

Then I came to Sudan. I saw the Sudanese version of the month. Of course I’m not talking about everyone but I’m talking about the people who literally start panicking two weeks before Ramadan starts, this type will come to you and ask ‘Listen, can we smoke in Ramadan? It’s not eating nor drinking. No? What about Saffa (snuff)?’

Complaints will accompany Ramadan from the first day . The heat, the hunger, the thirst. Ramadan becomes the main answer to the question ‘Why?’ Why are you late to work? Ramadan. Why did you fail this exam? Ramadan. Why did you hit me with your car, break my leg and then run away? Man, its Ramadan, people are fasting, stop bothering me. Wherever you look, you will find irritated people that give you a feeling that fasting is actually a punishment rather than some sort of meditation. If you go to a shop and ask for something while the salesman is reading a newspaper, you get no reply; you ask again, he might just start yelling ‘One minute, can’t you see that I am busy?’ Then in a lower voice tone ‘Wallahi if it wasn’t Ramadan I would have said something else.’ When on public transportation you find everyone with an angry face and the Komsari yelling ‘100 more, don’t waste our time, fasting and don’t have time for you.’ And you wonder, what’s with the attitude?

At Iftar time you find people running around like crazy and drivers speeding like maniacs as if they were 2 minutes late they would die. A person flying from above would think that there is a war and people are running for their lives. Within minutes the streets are emptied and it stays like this for a while before some form of life appears outside again. Different happier looking organisms this time.

During the pre-fasting meal, Sahour, people start running around again, each individual with their own theory. They say Rogag, some sort of cereal, and Hilo-Mor, a bad-tasting Sudanese drink, are best for fasting. No, two cups of water and a cigarette is perfect and they will see you through the day. What? Who said? Anyways, Ramadan Kareem.