DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42187
TITLE=RAMADAN / RELIGIOUS
BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB
 DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

///EDS: RAMADAN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY THIS SUNDAY -- WATCH FOR 
UPDATED DETAILS ///

INTRO: THE MUSLIM WORLD IS PREPARING FOR RAMADAN, THE HOLY MONTH 
OF FASTING AND ATONEMENT.  FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS (EDS: ONE 
LUNAR MONTH), MUSLIMS DEVOTE ADDITIONAL TIME TO THEIR PRAYERS, 
TRY TO BE KINDER TO ONE ANOTHER, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE BLESSING
THEY BELIEVE THE HOLY MONTH WILL BRING.   VOA MIDDLE EAST 
CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB REPORTS.

TEXT:               ///SOUND OF CALL TO PRAYER///

IT IS EARLY MORNING, HOURS BEFORE DAYBREAK. IN THE DARK, A 
PREACHER FROM A MINARET ANNOUNCES THE FIRST PRAYER OF THE DAY.  
DURING RAMADAN, THIS IS TIME TO START THE DAY'S FAST. 

MUSLIMS PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY. DURING RAMADAN, FROM THE FIRST 
PRAYER BEFORE DAWN UNTIL THE FOURTH PRAYER IN THE EVENING, THEY 
ARE TO REFRAIN FROM TAKING FOOD OR WATER, USING TOBACCO OR 
ENGAGING IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY.

DURING THE REST OF THE YEAR, MANY MUSLIMS PRAY AT HOME AND ONLY 
GO THE MOSQUES FOR FRIDAY SERMONS. BUT DURING RAMADAN, THEY FLOCK
TO THE MOSQUES EVERY DAY. AND ON FRIDAYS, THEIR NUMBERS ARE SO 
GREAT THAT THEY USUALLY SPILL OUT ONTO THE STREETS.   
LOUDSPEAKERS ARE PLACED OUTSIDE SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THE SERMON -- 
EVEN IF THEY ARE BLOCKS AWAY.

THE SENIOR PREACHER OF EGYPT'S ANCIENT AL AZHAR MOSQUE, SHEIKH 
EID ABDEL HAMID YOUSIF, TELLS V-O-A THAT FASTING DURING RAMADAN 
TEACHES MUSLIMS TO LIVE BETTER LIVES.

  ///INSERT SHEIKH YOUSIF ACT IN ARABIC -- IN FULL AND UNDER///

THE SHEIKH SAYS FASTING TEACHES MUSLIMS SELF CONTROL.  HE ADDS 
THAT THE DEMANDS OF RAMADAN ENCOURAGE MUSLIMS TO FEAR GOD AND TO 
THANK HIM FOR HIS MERCY.

///OPT./// DURING RAMADAN, AL AZHAR MOSQUE ALSO OFFERS FREE DAILY
INSTRUCTION IN ISLAM. AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY, A MUSLIM CAN GO TO 
AL AZHAR TO OBTAIN RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE FROM ONE OF THE MANY 
SHEIKHS ON DUTY. 

///INSERT ACT OF ISLAMIC TEACHING IN ARABIC - ESTABLISH. FADE AND
                             HOLD///

HERE, A MUSLIM FROM SOUTH AFRICA SITS WITH TWO SHEIKHS WHO 
CORRECT HIM ON HIS MEMORIZATION OF THE MUSLIM HOLY BOOK, THE 
KORAN.

///BRING UP ACT OF ISLAMIC TEACHING, THEN OUT UNDER NARRATION///

EACH YEAR DURING RAMADAN, PREACHERS IN EGYPT ARE INSTRUCTED TO 
STRESS A PARTICULAR THEME IN THEIR SERMONS.  LAST YEAR, RAMADAN 
CAME A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE MURDER OF 60 PEOPLE, MOSTLY TOURISTS, 
IN LUXOR, SOUTHERN EGYPT -- THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK IN RECENT 
EGYPTIAN HISTORY.  AND AS A RESULT, MOST SERMONS WERE DEDICATED 
TO DENOUNCING TERRORISM AND STRESSING THAT ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF
PEACE.

THIS YEAR, IT IS LIKELY THAT PREACHERS IN EGYPT WILL STRESS ISLAM
AS A RELIGION THAT IS TOLERANT OF OTHER FAITHS. THE PAST YEAR HAS
WITNESSED A NUMBER OF CONFLICTS BETWEEN EGYPT'S MUSLIM MAJORITY 
AND ITS SIX MILLION COPTIC CHRISTIANS. THE TENSIONS BETWEEN 
MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS HAVE EMBARRASSED THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  ///END OPT.///

DURING RAMADAN, MUSLIMS ALSO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO BE KINDER
TO ONE ANOTHER.  EVEN IN CAIRO WHERE TRAFFIC, CITY STRESS, AND 
POLLUTION ARE ALWAYS AT HIGH LEVELS, IT IS RARE TO SEE A PUBLIC 
ARGUMENT DURING RAMADAN. 

AND RAMADAN IS A TIME FOR CHARITY, WHICH LIKE FASTING, IS ONE OF 
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM.  DURING THE MONTH, EVERYONE, NO MATTER
WHAT THEIR RELIGION OR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, HAS A CHANCE TO EAT 
WELL EVERYDAY. IN EGYPT, MOSQUES, SHOPS AND SOCIAL CLUBS SET UP 
WHAT ARE KNOWN AS "GOD'S TABLES" THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
POLITICIANS, BUSINESSMEN AND WEALTHY ENTERTAINERS ALSO SET UP 
TABLES. ALL ARE WELCOME TO SHARE THE MEAL, WHICH INCLUDES MEAT, 
RICE, BEANS, BREAD AND SPECIAL, RAMADAN SWEETS.

SHEIKH YOUSIF EXPLAINS THAT RAMADAN IS A TIME TO REALIZE HOW POOR
PEOPLE FEEL ALL YEAR ROUND.

 ///SECOND SHEIKH YOUSIF ACT IN ARABIC -- IN FULL AND UNDER/// 

THE SHEIKH ADDS THAT THE FASTING AND STRICT SCHEDULE OF RAMADAN 
PRAYERS HELP MUSLIMS TO ORGANIZE THEIR LIVES.

IN THE EARLY MORNING JUST BEFORE THE DAY'S THE FIRST PRAYER, MEN 
WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WAKING EVERYONE UP.  THEY REMIND 
PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR LAST BITES TO EAT BEFORE THE NEIGHBORHOOD 
MOSQUE ANNOUNCES THE START OF THE NEW DAY'S FAST. (SIGNED)

///INSERT SOUND OF CALL TO PRAYER (SNEAK UP DURING LAST SENTENCE,
         BRING UP IN FULL, UNDER SIGN-OFF, AND FADE)///

(SIGNED) 

NEB/SB/PCF 

18-Dec-98 12:03 PM EST (1703 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.