The Interior Ministry yesterday requested non-Muslim residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to respect feelings of Muslims during the fasting month of Ramadan by abstaining from eating, drinking and smoking in public during the day. The ministry also warned that violators of the rules could face deportation. "Authorities will take deterrent measures such as terminating work contracts of, and deporting, violators," said a statement from the ministry. "Non-Muslim residents of this country must respect Muslims' feelings by refraining from eating, drinking or smoking in public places, in the streets and in workplaces during the dawn-to-dusk fast observed by Muslims throughout the holy month," the statement said. The ministry reminded non-Muslims in the Kingdom that they are obliged to respect Islamic rules and follow the Kingdom's regulations on the basis of the terms of their contracts. The ministry called upon companies and individual employers to explain the statement to their non-Muslim staff and caution them against violating it.
