Tradition and culture notwithstanding, many Saudi families now prefer to spend the month of Ramadan outside the Kingdom. Even with the onset of Ramadan earlier this week, many Saudi tourists are still traveling abroad. Nuha Ghazawi, domestic tourism Manager of Al-Tayyar Agency for Travel and Tourism, said many Saudi families have packed their bags and gone to tourist spots mainly in Turkey, Britain, Tunisia and Egypt. Why do Saudis travel abroad when traditionally they used to spend Ramadan at home? “We want to see how Ramadan is observed in other countries. We are sure they observe it differently,” some of the travelers told Saudi Gazette. The Kingdom has the most attractive holy places in the world. “It seems strange to leave Makkah during Ramadan and go to Europe,” said Luay Kanetah, Member of the Tourism Committee of the Taif Chamber for Commerce and Industry. The large number of Saudis going abroad has adversely affected the Kingdom's domestic tourism which has seen a sharp fall this year. “We still expect many of the Saudis who have traveled abroad to come back to the Kingdom during the last ten days of Ramadan. These days are very sensitive for all the Muslims,” said Kanetah. Many people expressed their surprise after learning that their relatives and friends were spending Ramadan in non-Islamic countries. “Saudis have left out Islamic countries like Syria, Lebanon and Egypt from their itinerary because they are looking for a change,” said Ghazawi, a relative of a family which opted to go to London this Ramadan. Sheikh Sem Al-Hakim, Imam of the Ja'fer Al-Tayyar Mosque, said there were many requirements for those traveling abroad: for example they could travel for trade, study, or medical treatment, but traveling to these countries only for tourism and enjoyment is not acceptable. According to Al-Hakim, Muslims who are traveling to non-Islamic countries should have a strong knowledge of their religion so that they can influence others to accept Islam. They should also be able to defend and present a true image of Islam. Ramadan requires Muslims to recite the Noble Qur'an, offer Tarawih prayers, and give charity. But in these countries Muslims cannot even offer five obligatory prayers, so how can they offer Tarawih or give charity, the Imam asked. Most people take their travel for tourism as an excuse not to fast during Ramadan. “We all know that Islam permits people not to fast in Ramadan while traveling, but some people take this rule as an excuse to avoid fasting in Ramadan and do whatever they want in these countries,” said Al-Hakim. __
