Inflation, security dampen Ramadan festivity

Sitting next to his rickety stall stacked high with seasonal plastic lanterns, a toothy-grinned Am Ahmed waits for a customer at the start of Ramadan, which looked bleak for many Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and Asia.

"It's not like it used to be, there are many fewer customers,” said the Egyptian trader, whose shop in Cairo has felt the pains of inflation. “Before, people bought things without counting. Now, they are very careful," he sighs.

There are plenty of goods on this shopping street in Cairo's crowded Sayyeda Zeinab district: dates, nuts, raisins and the renowned fanus lanterns are all here in great quantities. But the clients are lacking.

As Muslims across the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan they are facing the reality this year’s celebration takes place amid sharp hikes in food prices and in many countries an ever present fear of violence from governments and militants alike.

Security and succor

In the Gaza Strip weary residents will celebrate their second Ramadan since the democratically-elected Islamist Hamas movement seized power in June 2007 under a strict Israeli blockade that continues despite a fragile two-month truce.

In Afghanistan, as in Pakistan, police have "special security" in place, according to officials, who called for peace over Ramadan in the face of skyrocketing food prices, including the staple wheat, which have doubled in parts of the country.

"My family can't afford the expense," said a 25-year-old Afghan taxi driver named Khushal, who earns 150 dollars a month, and said he would have to borrow money.

Authorities in China's Muslim-populated far northwest sought to prevent mass prayers and the distribution of religious material as part of a security crackdown for Ramadan.

In the Somali capital Mogadishu, where people face daily violence, self-imposed curfews, prolonged droughts and economic woes, the situation is grim. Many people have been unable to go out or buy the foods normally eaten when breaking the fast.

Record inflation dampens festivity

Prices for essentials such as eggs, meat and cooking oil have surged surged throughout the Muslim world as people stocked up for the feasts which end the dawn-to-dusk fasting period.

Followers of Islam are required to abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk. Activity peaks between "iftar", the breaking of the fast at sunset, and "suhur", the last meal of the day before sunrise.

Dried dates, a particularly sought after delicacy traditionally consumed by Muslims because Prophet Mohammed broke his fast with a few dates and some milk, are especially expensive.

"Dates are very expensive because this year the harvest hasn't been completed," said an Egyptian trader in Cairo with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Because Islam uses the lunar calendar, the season in which Ramadan falls changes slightly every year, affecting the length of people's dawn-to-dusk fast, the temperatures they must endure and the price of seasonal fruit.

Egypt in July broke yet another inflation record, hitting 23 percent year-on-year with the price of certain staples up more than 70 percent.

The cost of many basic staples is simply too much for many in a country where around 44 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty level of two dollars a day.

In Pakistan the federal government is offering a 1.75 billion rupees (2.5 million dollars) subsidy on essential food items to be sold through a chain of state-run utility stores across the country. But it is unlikely to help some.

"Inflation has affected everything," said Fehmida Shaukat, a housewife from the Liyari slum in the teeming southern port city of Karachi. "We usually celebrate Ramadan as a month of prayers and inner joy, but this time round it is hard to celebrate it with the same fervor."

A mother of six in Jakarta said much the same. "I used to serve dessert for my family to break the fast before we had the main meal consisting of rice,” said Nena. “But as everything has become very expensive we can't afford it anymore."

Inflation in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country is hovering around 12 percent, putting pressure on families already hit hard by sharp rises in subsidized fuel prices.

"Our Prophet Mohammed advised us to break the fast with sweet things but I have to think rationally,” said Nena. “It's more important to have proper food on the table than sweets, so we can continue to perform the fast until the end of Ramadan."

We usually celebrate Ramadan as a month of prayers and inner joy, but this time round it is hard to celebrate it with the same fervor.

Fehmida Shaukat, Karachi housewife