DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42183
TITLE=RAMADAN
BYLINE=AMIN FEKRAT
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
NOT VOICED: 

INTRO: THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, THE NINTH MONTH IN THE MUSLIM 
CALENDAR AND THE HOLIEST MONTH OF ISLAM, BEGINS SOON (HAS BEGUN) 
AND MUSLIMS THE WORLD OVER ARE PREPARING FOR (HAVE EMBARKED ON) A
MONTH OF ABSTINENCE FROM EATING AND DRINKING AND A MONTH OF 
REFLECTION, PURIFICATION AND SOUL SEARCHING. VOA'S AMIN FEKRAT OF
VOA'S FARSI SERVICE HAS PREPARED THIS REPORT ON THE MEANING OF 
RAMADAN:

TEXT: HOJJATOL-ISLAM MOHAMMAD ELAHI, THE IMAM OF "THE HOUSE OF 
WISDOM" IN DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN SAYS THAT THIS YEAR THE 
BEGINNING OF RAMADAN TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1998, 
WHEN A SLIVER OF THE NEW MOON IS SIGHTED. QUESTIONED ABOUT THE 
UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING THE SIGHTING OF THE NEW MOON, 
HOJJATOL-ISLAM ELAHI SAYS THINGS MIGHT BE CHANGING:

                    /// CUT 1: IMAM ELAHI///



          FIRST OF ALL IN RECENT YEARS THERE IS MUCH LESS 
         UNCERTAINTY AND MORE AGREEMENT AMONG THE ISLAMIC 
         COMMUNITY REGARDING THE CERTAINTY OF THE (ONSET) OF THE 
         MONTH OF RAMADAN. LOOKS LIKE FOR THIS YEAR THERE IS MORE
         AGREEMENT ON NEXT SUNDAY AS THE FIRST DAY OF RAMADAN.I  
         AND I BELIEVE TO REDUCE THIS UNCERTAINTY, WE NEED TO 
         FOCUS MORE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND GET HELP FROM 
         ASTRONOMY.

                         /// END ACT ///

FASTING, DAILY PRAYERS, ALMSGIVING, AND THE "HAJ," OR PILGRIMAGE 
TO MECCA, AND ACKNOWLEDGING OF THE ONENESS OF GOD AND THE MISSION
OF MUHAMMAD AS THE GOD'S MESSENGER MAKE UP THE FIVE PILLARS OF 
ISLAM. 

DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, MUSLIMS EVERYWHERE FAST.  THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BE FASTING IS SUBSTANTIAL SINCE AN ESTIMATED 
ONE OUT OF EVERY SIX PEOPLE IN THE WORLD IS A MUSLIM.

IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE, THERE ARE BETWEEN THREE AND SIX 
MILLION MUSLIMS. IT IS GENERALLY AGREED THAT ISLAM IS THE FASTEST
GROWING RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES. IMAM ELAHI SAYS THIS IS 
TRUE OF THE REST OF THE WORLD:

                    ///CUT 2: IMAM ELAHI ///

         ACTUALLY ISLAM IS NOT ONLY THE FASTEST GROWING FAITH IN 
         THE UNITED STATES, IT IS ALSO THE FASTEST GROWING FAITH 
         AROUND THE WORLD. AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT
         ISLAM IS  NOT ONLY A RELIGION OF SPIRITUALITY, BUT ALSO 
         A RELIGION OF RATIONALITY.

                         /// END ACT ///

IN DEFERENCE TO THE INJUNCTIONS FROM THE KORAN, THE FUNDAMENTAL 
SCRIPTURE OF THE FAITH, ADULT MUSLIMS BEGIN A FAST, AVOIDING 
FOOD, DRINK AND SMOKE FROM DAWN TO DUSK, FOR A PERIOD OF ONE 
MONTH, UNTIL THE SLIVER OF THE NEXT MOON APPEARS.  HOWEVER, THE 
KORAN DOES  NOT  REQUIRE TRAVELERS, THE SICK, NURSING MOTHERS AND
SOLDIERS ON THE MARCH TO FAST. BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO 
MAKE UP THE DAYS MISSED AS SOON AS THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. 

DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, MUSLIMS ARE CALLED UPON TO SHIFT 
FROM DAILY ROUTINE TO AN ATTITUDE OF SELF DENIAL AND ALSO TO 
STRIVE TO PURIFY THE SOUL.  MUSLIMS ARE ALSO CALLED UPON TO LEARN
TO SUFFER IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE LESS FORTUNATE. 

MUSLIMS TRACE THEIR RELIGION TO THE YEAR A-D 610.  ACCORDING TO 
THEIR TRADITION, ON MOUNT HIRA DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, 
MUHAMMAD BIN ABDALLAH, A MEMBER OF THE ELITIST QURAYSH TRIBE FROM
MECCA, RECEIVED A DIVINE INJUNCTION COMMANDING HIM TO "RECITE." 
MUSLIMS BELIEVE THAT SOME TIME IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, MUHAMMAD,
IN HIS MEDITATIVE STATE, SUDDENLY WAS ENGULFED BY THE DIVINE 
PRESENCE. "RECITE!" COMMANDED THE VOICE:

/// ACT 3 -  THE VOICE OF A FAITHFUL, READING THE "GERM CELLS" 
SURA  (FADE WHEN DESIRED)///

         RECITE IN THE NAME OF THY SUSTAINER WHO HAS CREATED MAN 
         OUT OF GERM CELLS! RECITE, FOR THY SUSTAINER IS THE MOST
         BOUNTIFUL, ONE WHO HAS TAUGHT MAN THE USE OF PEN, TAUGHT
         HIM WHAT HE DID NOT KNOW!

                         /// END ACT ///

WITHIN A HUNDRED YEARS OF MOHAMMAD'S CALL, ISLAM SPREAD TO MUCH 
OF THE POPULATED WORLD. THE KORAN, MEANING "RECITATION," IN 
ARABIC, EMPHASIZES REASON, PERPETUAL SEARCH FOR TRUTH, CAREFUL 
OBSERVATION, CONTEMPLATION AND TRANSCENDENCE BEYOND THE 
TRANSITORY, THE INSIGNIFICANT AND EPHEMERAL. 

IN THE PROCESS OF THE RELIGIOUS SEARCH, THE FAITHFUL FIND THE 
"SIGNS" AND THE "CLARIFIERS" (AYAT AND BAYYANAT, IN ARABIC) THAT 
LEAD TO GOD AS THE ETERNAL TRUTH AND THE SOURCE OF ALL EXISTENCE.

/// ACT 4 CALL TO DAILY PRAYER IN ARABIC, FADE UNDER VOICE WHEN 
DESIRED ///

         GOD IS MOST GREAT,

         GOD IS MOST GREAT,

         I BEAR WITNESS TO THE ONENESS OF GOD,

         I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET..."

                         /// END ACT ///

AT THE CALL OF MUEZZIN FROM THE GOLDEN MINARETS OF THE MOSQUES 
ALL OVER THE ISLAMIC WORLD, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MUSLIMS TURN 
TOWARD MECCA, THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM, AND 
PROSTRATE THEMSELVES IN HUMILITY BEFORE GOD.

THE RELIGIOUS-BASED ISLAMIC QUEST BECAME A FOUNDATION FOR 
SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND THE DISCOVERIES MADE BY ISLAMIC SCHOLARS 
PRECEDED EUROPEAN RESEARCH AND LEARNING.  MANY ADVANCES IN 
MEDICINE, ASTRONOMY, MATH AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES OFTEN ARE 
ATTRIBUTABLE TO TO THE ISLAMIC WORLD IN THE EARLY CENTURIES OF 
ISLAMIC EXPANSION.  IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT ISLAMIC 
SCHOLARS AND SCIENTISTS TRANSMITTED MUCH OF THE CLASSICAL 
KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. SINCE THEN ETHNIC, CULTURAL AND 
TRIBAL DIFFERENCES SUPERSEDED THE ISLAMIC INJUNCTIONS FOR 
PERPETUAL SEARCH AND DIVISION AND NATIONALISTIC DIFFERENCES 
LARGELY STOPPED  THE QUEST FOR TRUTH.  BUT MANY MODERN MUSLIMS 
TODAY SEEM TO BE CONVINCED THAT THE RISE OF A GENUINE ISLAMIC 
REVIVALISM AS A POSITIVE FORCE MAY ONCE AGAIN PUT THE MUSLIM 
COMMUNITIES ON THE RIGHT PATH. 

MANY MUSLIMS TODAY ARE DISMAYED THAT THEIR RELIGION HAS, BY SOME 
PEOPLE, BEEN LINKED WITH TERRORISM.  AND THERE ARE MANY WHO 
BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENTS AND REGIMES IN THE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES
DO  NOT  NECESSARILY REPRESENT THEIR IDEALS AND THEIR TRUE 
RELIGION.  A CASE IN POINT IS THE REGIME IN IRAQ WHOSE FACILITIES
AND ARMAMENTS ARE BEING (HAVE BEEN) BOMBARDED BY THE JOINT FORCES
OF BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES.  IMAM ELAHI OF THE "ISLAMIC 
HOUSE OF WISDOM SAYS THAT THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY DIFFERENTIATES 
BETWEEN THE REGIME IN IRAQ AND THE SUFFERING PEOPLE:

                    /// ACT 5 : IMAM ELAHI///

         ACTUALLY, I HAVE HAD COMMUNICATIONS WITH MANY MUSLIMS 
         FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS OPERATION, AND THEY KEEP 
         CALLING THE ISLAMIC HOUSE OF WISDOM. THE GENERAL FEELING
         IS THAT FIRST OF ALL OUR HEART IS WITH THE IRAQI PEOPLE 
         AND WE ARE VERY SAD ABOUT THE SITUATION. THE MUSLIM 
         COMMUNITY IN THE U.S.THINKS THAT WE HAVE TO SEPARATE THE
         QUESTION OF SADDAM HUSSEIN FROM THE QUESTION OF THE 
         IRAQI PEOPLE.  EXPERIENCE TELLS US THAT SANCTIONS AND 
         SEVERAL ATTACKS AND BOMBARDMENTS OF IRAQ IN THE LAST FEW
         YEARS REALLY DID  NOT  PUT PRESSURE ON SADDAM HUSSEIN; 
         SADDAM HUSSEIN IS STILL THERE, BUT THE IRAQI PEOPLE ARE 
         SUFFERING.

                         /// END ACT ///

FAR FROM EMBRACING VIOLENCE, IMAM ELAHI SAYS THAT ISLAM IS A 
RELIGION THAT PREACHES COMPASSION FOR THOSE IN NEED, NOT ONLY 
DURING RAMADAN BUT THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR. (SIGNED)

NEB/AF/KL

18-Dec-98 10:57 AM EST (1557 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.