Letter From Iraq #02

Another week has passed and things on FOB Diamondback have been rather quiet.  That isn’t to say that nothing happens around here.  Most days you can hear numerous mortars and other indirect fire.  The indirect fire that this area does see usually isn’t anything to worry about too much, but that isn’t to say that you can completely ignore it.  You never know where a mortar will fall and so you must treat every incident as if it were falling right next to you.

For the most part we only have a couple of indirect fire incidents each day.  In the coming weeks this number will start to increase with the onset of an Islamic holiday called Ramadan.  Ramadan, “is considered the most venerated, blessed and spiritually-beneficial month of the Islamic year,” according to wikipedia.com.  According to the military it is also the month long period that we see an increase in violence.  Before I got to Iraq I had little understanding of the holiday of Ramadan and had very little concern to understand it because it wasn’t something that affects my life.  Now that I am in Iraq during this holiday and it will have an impact on my daily life I feel that it is important to understand some of the culture.  In my hope of better understanding I decided I would share some of my findings with you.

As I stated before, Ramadan is an Islamic holiday that is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.  The actual day that Ramadan starts on is different from year to year since its actual start is based off of the sighting of a new moon.  This fact causes a lot of problems in the Islamic community.  Some Muslims, to include many Muslim Clerics, have decided to rely on modern day astrology, which can pinpoint the exact time of the new moon.  Other more traditional Muslims have decided to continue with the ancient method that is called for in the Islamic texts from the age of their Prophet Mohammed.  According to these texts, Ramadan begins when the new moon is sighted.  So depending on how you believe the start of Ramadan is chosen, it could start on September 12, in accordance with astrologist, or on September 13, in accordance with traditionalists.

Ramadan comes from the Islamic word for “intense heat and scorched ground.”  This holiday is celebrated because it is believed that the Quran, the holy text of Islam, was revealed during this month.  One of the most important practices during this month long celebration is fasting.  When it comes to fasting the Muslims have very strict guidelines that they must follow.  Fasting is to be observed starting at sunrise and will continue until the sun sets in the evening.  The intent of fasting is to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm.  It is also believed that by fasting, a person is performing a deep personal worship, bringing the participant to a raised level of closeness to God.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are also behooved to follow the teachings of Islam.  They are also expected to from negativities such as anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backstabbing, and gossip.  Obscene and sacrilegious sights and sounds are to be avoided; purity of thoughts and actions if very important.  During Ramadan, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran. 

This is a very general description of the holiday of Ramadan.  If you are looking for more information, the internet has a fast array.  The library is also a great place to find a book about the traditions of Ramadan.  Sometimes the best way to fight a war is through understand.  Many times fighting breaks out because the traditions of a group of people are misunderstood.  By learning about the people and their traditions we can work to end skirmishes through our passion for other people.

As I sign off for this week I would like to add that if you have a question that you would like me to try to answer, you can email it to me at john.iraq@hotmail.com.  Please keep in mind that there are some questions that I cannot answer due to the fact that it can potentially put people in harm.  I will do my best to answer any questions.

Until we meet again, Have a Great Air Force Day!