At an Iftar gathering last Sunday, I met a British-Pakistani woman who had come to live in Pakistan, her parents’ country of origin. She said that the month of Ramadan and Eid had become somewhat similar to Advent and Christmas. She remembered Ramadan and Christmas from her childhood in the Manchester area of the UK as being quieter than they are today, before the commercialisation of these seasons had fully begun. Ramadan and the daily Iftar gatherings at that time were quite simple, she said, with little attention given to elaborate parties and expensive food. Today, she thinks there is too much focus on fancy Iftar gatherings, and Ramadan has become a shopping season for Eid, when everyone must buy a new shalwar kameez and other clothes, whether they need them or not.

She felt that the commercialisation we experience today takes away some of the purpose of Ramadan and Eid for Muslims, just as it has already done for Christmas for Christians, especially in Europe and the West. December, leading up to Christmas, has become a hectic shopping month and the most important business month of the year for shops and restaurants. Because of this, the focus on quiet reflection and prayer has become less prominent. Still, there are some positive aspects to the buying and exchanging of gifts, and certainly to helping those with lower incomes who cannot follow the commercialisation hype. At this time of year, we should remember that many people need help, especially with the ever-increasing prices of everyday items, now also affected by the US–Israeli war in Iran and rising global oil prices that influence other costs.

Although my British-Pakistani friend is right in her analysis that commercialisation has taken away key aspects of Christmas in Europe and now also of Ramadan and Eid among Muslims, we must also admit that these trends can probably not be stopped. They have been present for quite some time already. At best, we should find ways of living with commercialisation as part of our religious feasts, while also realising that in certain ways it gives more attention to these occasions, both for believers and for others, including people of different religions who still enjoy taking part in the festivities and observing the commitment of believers.

In Norway, it has become common for many people to go skiing in the mountains, provided there is still snow at Easter time in spring, which this year falls on 5 April and includes several additional holidays. If people have had enough of snow and winter, they may travel to the coast, or they may simply visit friends and relatives in their hometowns and villages. True, this takes away some attention from the religious aspects of Easter, yet the event also becomes more widely noticed because of its secular dimensions.

Anthropologists and religious historians teach us that religious events grow roots more easily when they are tied to existing cultural or social practices. Similarly, our religious occasions today may become stronger if they also have broader secular and cultural aspects, not only religious ones, especially when several religions exist side by side, as is increasingly common in our time.

My first experience of living alongside several religions, not only Christianity as I had known in Norway, came when I moved to Nairobi, Kenya, in my younger years. There were Muslim neighbours from Sudan in my block of flats, along with local Kenyans and Hindus. I especially remember their observance of Diwali, the festival of light. There were Christians as well, though not in the majority. As a Norwegian who had grown up in a largely homogeneous Protestant Christian country, it was exciting and enriching to learn about other religions, including during Ramadan.

The exposure to other traditions and ideas is always valuable, not because one would change religion, but because it shows how much religions have in common. This is certainly true for Islam and Christianity, including the principles and purpose of fasting, even though their concrete religious and cultural traditions differ.

Today, Norway has also become home to many Muslim refugees and immigrants. I believe this has enriched the religious and cultural traditions of the country, especially in the capital, Oslo, where around ten to fifteen percent of the population are Muslims. Interestingly, in the coming years the fasting hours in the far north of the world are relatively short because the days are shorter there than further south, closer to the Equator. However, when Ramadan falls in the summer season, with very long days in the far north, the fasting period becomes much longer.

Another aspect of Ramadan and Lent is to remind us that every person is equal before God. Since last Sunday, 8 March, was International Women’s Day, we were reminded of the ongoing struggle for women to achieve equal opportunities with men in workplaces and other areas across the world. In Pakistan, another Women’s Day is also observed, notably on 12 February. It is important to work for equal rights for women everywhere, but we should also remember that many poor men, as well as children, young people and the elderly, need support. Working for better living conditions for all is essential in a world marked by growing economic and social inequalities.

As we are now in the second half of the holy months of Ramadan and Lent, it is a good time to consider broader structural issues of religious, social and economic equality. We should reflect on these issues alongside giving Zakat, the third pillar of Islam, which emphasises helping the poor and needy. During Ramadan, we should also remember that offering help to others is not only a matter of providing food, clothes or other material assistance. It can also mean giving our time, sharing spiritual guidance, and listening to the advice of others.

In some ways, people with fewer material resources may possess greater wisdom, while wealthy, well-educated individuals and those in high positions may not always recognise that God sees everyone as equally valuable. We should remember that arrogance and self-righteousness are wrong. Instead, we should strive to be humble and compassionate towards others, whether they are poor or rich in worldly and perishable wealth.

Atle HetlandThe writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com

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