insideTORONTO
Friday, August 19, 2011
Muslims around the world abstain from food and drink during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan as a time to purify the soul and reflect on God.
Muslims are called upon to re-evaluate their lives according to Islamic guidance, make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen their ties with family and friends and end bad habits.
The nightly celebration at sundown to break the day's fast is unthinkable to most Somalis struggling to survive the worst drought in half a century in the Horn of Africa.
"How can we fast knowing people in Somalia are starving?" asked Omar Farouk, president of the International Muslims Organizations (IM0), a Rexdale mosque. "Normally, we have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Three meals each day. People in Somalia don't have even a glass of water to drink.
"It's really sad. As human beings, it is incumbent on us to come forward and do something to assist."
The IMO's 2000-strong congregation has raised $7,000 it donated to the local Somali community to donate to Human Concern International or immediate humanitarian relief for tens of thousands escaping drought, famine and war in Somalia.
"The situation over there is very sad. It breaks the heart of everyone who cares about humanity," Farouk said.
An estimated 3.7-million people are on the brink of starvation in the Horn of Africa, with a total of 12.4 million suffering food shortages and in need of immediate assistance, reports the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Ramadan ends at the end of the month with the celebration of Eid.