TIRANA, June 18 – Muslims in Albania and worldwide marked Thursday the start of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of religious contemplation and fasting from sunrise to sundown for many practicing Muslims.
The head of the official Muslim Community of Albania organization, Skender Brucaj, sent a public message reminding believers that the month is not just about fasting, but also a time to help those in need and contemplate how to do good in the world.
“Fasting during this month reminds us of the obligations we have toward all of society’s groups that demand our care and attention,” Brucaj said. “Let this month serve as a time of forgiveness of sin, acceptance of prayers and maturation of hearts.”
Mosques across the country have been decorated for the occasion and extra prayer times have been made available.
During the next 30 days, practicing Muslims in Albania and elsewhere will observe fasting during some of the year’s longest and hottest days, making abstinence from food and water a particularly hard test. Several groups of adults like the sick, pregnant women and travelers are excluded from the obligation.
The month is based on the lunar calendar and moves by 10 days or so each year. At the end of the month, July 18, Albanians will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, or Barjam i Madh as the holiday is known locally. Bajram is an official holiday, but otherwise Albania’s deeply secular state has no official provisions or regulations regarding Ramadan or similar religious practices of other faiths.
Unlike most other Muslim-majority countries, most of Albania’s Muslim population does not fully observe all of Ramadan’s fasting requirements, but a portion of the Muslim population does fast for all or part of the month.
Some also apply lighter rules, for example, some people who drink year-round, avoid alcohol for the month. Charity givings also increase during the month, religious experts say.
There are no statistics as to how many Albanians fast for Ramadan, but only 10 percent of the population said religion played a very important part of their lives, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
Muslims make up about 59 percent of Albania’s population, including the Bektashi Sufi order, according to the 2011 census. They live in full harmony with Christian Albanians and citizens with no religious affiliation.
