Muslims across the globe will observe the first fast of the holy month of Ramadan today. Saudi Arabian Supreme Court had decreed Wednesday that as there was no sighting of the new moon and as such, Thursday would be the first of Ramadan.
Around 1.5 billion Muslims will observe the fast according to the scripture, customs and culture.
The biggest issue facing many of the Muslims with the start of Ramadan is the large number of Muslims with no shelter due to various reasons. This is especially true for Middle East. It is also noted that most of these Muslims without are due to internal strife within their nations.
Many Muslims have extended a hand of support for such displaced people. However, the issue is severe. Aid organizations such as UN have intensive programs to assist the relief situation in such areas. However, such organizations are facing funding issues as well.
The global economy is also a contributing factor to the issues that can occur in Ramadan. As such, prices of goods are inflated and some sections of the population face acute starvation. The prices are expected to rise more in Ramadan. Saudi exports of meat have already doubled.
The internal conflicts in neighboring nations and the resultant decrease in productivity is also a contributing factor to the rise in prices.
In spite of the challenges, Muslims have always observed the fast, with patience and trust in the Almighty Allah.
Muslims across the globe welcome the holy month of Ramadan
