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Great heat makes Ramadan fasting difficult for Muslims
The current high temperatures cause many people to physical ailments. Health experts always advise you to drink a lot. For Muslims, this is currently prohibited because of the month of fasting Ramadan. Physical integrity is more important to believers than fasting.
Fasting commandment applies from puberty
Up to 15 hours of sunshine daily and temperatures around 40 degrees: The heat of high Annelie makes man quite a job. Health experts advise: drinking, drinking, drinking! For Muslims, this is currently taboo. Since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan on June 18 believers refrain from eating and drinking during the day. Only after the evening prayer is the daily fast broken with a communal meal. Doctors warn, however, that symptoms such as severe headache, nausea, or circulatory collapse can occur if you do not drink while the sun is burning. Especially for children and adolescents it could be dangerous. As the news agency dpa reports, Islamist associations explain anyway that the fasting commandment only applies from puberty.
Ramadan fasting can be a health risk in the heat of the day. (Image: saiyood / fotolia.com) All-day resignation should be taboo for adolescents
Although religious motives are in the foreground, there are also health benefits in Ramadan fasting. However, the daily Lent this year is particularly long. As Ramadan - this time from 18 June to 16 July - falls on hot summer days with hot temperatures, health risks are greater. For adolescents the all-day renouncement of eating and drinking should be taboo, if it were to the professional association of paediatricians. "Fasting damages the health of children and adolescents," said Association Director Wolfram Hartmann. According to the expert, episodes could include headache, nausea, dizziness and circulatory collapse.
Physical integrity is more important
"In children, the proportion of water in body weight is very high, they must therefore regularly drink enough throughout the day," said Hartmann. The little ones could store liquid badly. Aiman Mazyek, chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, emphasized that Ramadan was an important time: "This month, the Muslim is experiencing spiritual cleansing." Although the fasting commandment applies from puberty, children often wish to have fun. Some parents therefore negotiate a compromise with them, for example, a waiver on the weekend. Important is: "The physical integrity is a religious commandment and is still above the fast."
Ill should not fast
It was emphasized by the Turkish-Islamic Union Ditib: "Islamic doctrine, but also tradition, does not provide fasting for children." For some children who want to emulate adults, parents would allow it, but not all day long. Teenagers could go through physical fasting. Basically, "A compulsion to fast can not and may not be exercised by outsiders." The founder of the Liberal Islamic Federation, Lamya Kaddor, explained: "Islam is not a rigid religion. But some Muslims do not know this and make it too difficult for themselves and their children. "There are also clear exceptions:" He who is ill or threatens to become ill should not fast. "
Introduce children to the topic without pressure
The Islam expert recommends introducing the young to the subject without pressure. "For example, it would be possible to arrange two hours a day in which children practice renunciation according to their age." According to their estimates, most of the Muslim adolescents in Germany are also fasting because of their sense of belonging and fellowship. However, doctors believe that it is exaggerated among minors sometimes. "Most of our colleagues have already had negative experiences when children and adolescents fast," said youth doctor Hartmann. He appealed to the parents to give the children at least small amounts of food and drink during the day because of the urge to move. He also said, "Use Ramadan to switch from soda, fruit juice, iced tea and cola to healthy water." (Ad)