Much has been written about the lifestyle changes a Muslim must make in Ramadan as well as the less-than-optimal changes many people these days actually end up incorporating in their lives. The truth is that in the Kingdom at least, Saudis and expatriates alike are complicating Ramadan by adopting social behavior that is not at all conducive to the spirit of the holy month. Ramadan is a month of spirituality, peace and simplicity, but today's Ramadan is increasingly becoming characterized by the following three habits: excessive shopping, eating and TV-watching. Saudi Gazette spoke to a number of families and discerned the overwhelming opinion that this is perhaps the only month in the year when some people actually put spirituality and abstinence after instant gratification. “Shopping takes over most women's minds in Ramadan with excessive interest in buying new clothes for Ramadan and Eid, new furniture for the home, school supplies as well as kitchen utensils,” remarked Hind Al-Hamoud, a Syrian housewife and mother of two. She emphasized a sudden need during Ramadan to buy new tools for the kitchen in particular and said that she and her friends had also developed a habit each Ramadan, to meet twice a week to hold a ‘cooking contest' and discuss new dish items. Al-Hamoud blamed the media for this, calling advertising the real culprit for luring women to malls and supermarkets with the promise of new products. One Saudi housewife, Hala Yahya, told Saudi Gazette that she prefers to keep her Ramadan evenings free to buy new items of furniture for her home, as part of the pre-Eid preparations. The objective, of course, is to ensure that the home looks like it's been made over when relatives and friends visit to celebrate Eid - something that neither Ramadan nor Eid are remotely related to in the first place! “Jealousy plays a big part in this. My husband's first wife changes the furniture of her home annually in Ramadan, so how could I stay behind?” asked Yahya. Shopping takes a number of forms, with many people shopping for Eid during the holy month and this year, many families are spending Ramadan shopping for school supplies as well, which open right after Eid. Watching TV excessively is a habit that has become synonymous with a number of health, lifestyle and social problems, and exists throughout the year for most people around the world. In the Kingdom, however, it becomes the only past-time most people have the time or energy for. Socializing, playing sports, running errands, reading books and other activities all take a back seat to the television for the simple reason that post Taraweeh prayers, most people are too lethargic to do much else. Add to that the diverse array of new and special shows aired on different channels during Ramadan, and the result is a couch potato. “We wait for Ramadan shows because there's a lot of drama in them,” remarked Rowaida Mahmoud, an Egyptian teacher living in Jeddah. “It is very important to find something to spend my time on during Ramadan.” In every sense, Ramadan is not about either of these three habits and the spirit of abstinence and purification seems lost on most shoppers, foodies and couch potatoes. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jefn, an Islamic scholar spoke to Saudi Gazette and stressed the urgent need to remind, and keep reminding people about the true objective of Ramadan. Reading the Holy Qu'ran, praying Taraweeh and getting involved in charity work are all the tenets of Ramadan. “The media and TV shows especially, as well as Imams in mosques, should raise awareness in the young generation of their obligations in Ramadan,” he advised. Social researchers place the blame on the media as well, but stress that globalization and deeper pockets are also culpable. “This phenomenon has appeared within the past twenty years, as part of globalization,” remarked Dr. Naif Al-Qarni, a sociologist and trainer at a private institution.
