Thursday, October 06, 2022
Elder of Ziyon
Al-Akhbar says that Palestinians have to atone for Jewish sins on Yom Kippur, because the entire country virtually shuts down.
It claims that even in Arab cities, "it is prohibited to drive vehicles or motorbikes, smoke shisha, grill meat, and operate loudspeakers throughout the city.”
To Israel haters, Yom Kippur is all a malicious excuse to punish Arabs. "The enemy authorities do not miss the tenth day of the Hebrew year without tightening their noose around the Palestinians; On this occasion, it deliberately subjects their areas to a state of curfew, as well as imposing restrictions on their daily habits, such as the prohibition of barbecue or smoking water pipes in public, even preventing them from practicing their jobs, professions and jobs."
This appears to be a lie. In mixed Jewish-Arab cities there is a voluntary curfew but there is no legal restrictions on driving, as far as I can tell. And, as the New York Times reports: "In Arab-majority cities, life continues almost as normal." But it does appear that some restrictions were placed on the old city at Acre.
Here is a photo in that NYT article of an outdoor restaurant open in Israel on Yom Kippur.
Most bizarrely, Al Akhbar makes the claim that on Ramadan, "can anyone imagine a situation in which Muslims prevent Jews from eating and drinking out of respect for their feelings, or to close their restaurants to prevent violating the sanctity of the holy month?! Of course not!"
But in fact in most Muslim majority countries those are exactly the restrictions that non-Muslims have to adhere to during the entire month! The Egyptian government religious authority ruled in 2016, "Eating publicly during the day in Ramadan is not within the personal freedoms of a person. It's a type of anarchy and an attack on the sacredness of Islam. Eating publicly during the day in Ramadan is sinning in public. This is forbidden, as well as offending public taste and decency in Muslim countries. It's also a flagrant violation of the sanctity of society and the right of its sacred beliefs to be respected."
Non-Muslims do not have to fast in Ramadan. However, they are prohibited from eating, drinking and smoking in public during the fasting hours. This includes chewing gum. Additionally, ensure that you do not:engage in any aggressive behaviourdance or play music in public although you may listen to music quietly with headphoneswear inappropriate clothing in publicswear as blasphemy is considered extra offensive during Ramadanrefuse a gift, or an invitation to join someone at Iftar.
