Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is one the most renowned religious rituals in the world for more than 1.5 billion Muslims. This study analyzes the effect of religious experience during the Muslim holy days of Ramadan on the stock exchanges of 16 Muslim-majority countries. According to the results, among 16 countries, 13 Muslim financial markets have positive returns during Ramadan, which can be attributed to the generally positive investor mood or emotion. In contrast, only 4 stock markets—Dubai Financial Market, Amman Stock Exchange, Karachi Stock Exchange, and Tunis Stock Exchange—exhibit differences that are both positive and statistically significant. Moreover, the study divides the Muslim holy days into 3 periods, where the first period comprises the first 10 days of Ramadan, second period covers the next 10 days of the Ramadan month, and the final period involves the last 10 days. According to results, while the first 10 days witness the lowest performance, the last 10 days experience the highest performance.

Is Ramadhan a Stupid Fasting or rather today's Muslims are Silly and thus the Fake Turkologist Nikos Chiladakis is Proven Ignorant?
ΑΝΑΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΣΗΜΕΡΑ ΑΝΕΝΕΡΓΟ ΜΠΛΟΓΚ “ΟΙ ΡΩΜΙΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΗΣ”
Το κείμενο του κ. Νίκου Μπαϋρακτάρη είχε αρχικά δημοσιευθεί την 3η Ιουνίου 2019.
First republished on 23rd August 2021 here:
https://profmegalommatistextsingreek.wordpress.com/2021/08/23/ηλίθια-νηστεία-το-ραμαζάνι-ή-ηλίθιοι-ο/

Ο κ. Μπαϋρακτάρης αναφέρεται σε online άρθρα μου δημοσιευμένα στα μισά της δεκαετίας του 2000, στα οποία είχα ζητήσει την κατάργηση του Ραμαζανίου δεδομένου ότι η ισλαμική νηστεία έχει καταντήσει ένα άθλιο διάλειμμα ανάμεσα σε νυκτερινές ευωχίες, αποκρουστική κραιπάλη, αργία και οκνηρία, εικονική τήρηση νηστείας (κατά την διάρκεια ημερήσιου ύπνου ‘για να περνάει η ώρα’) και, ακόμη χειρότερα, στις περισσότερες μουσουλμανικές χώρες έχει μεταβληθεί σε είδος κοινωνικής και κρατικής τυραννίας, διότι απαγορεύεται να δουν οι περαστικοί στον δρόμο κάποιον να μασάει.

Τα άρθρα μου εκείνα βρίσκονται αναδημοσιευμένα εδώ: https://www.academia.edu/25907214/Abolish_your_fake_Ramadhan_stupid_Text_by_Prof_M_S_Megalommatis_and_discussion
και https://www.academia.edu/26051016/Tyrannical_Ramadhan_as_part_of_Islamic_Terrorism_by_Prof_Muhammad_Shamsaddin_Megalommatis

Καθώς μας χωρίζουν 16 χρόνια από τις ημέρες κατά τις οποίες τα συνέγραψα, έχω δυστυχώς την αίσθηση ότι είπα ελάχιστα, είτε θεωρητικώς-ηθικώς, είτε ιστορικώς, είτε κοινωνικώς-ψυχολογικώς. Κατά το Ισλάμ και σε εκ διαμέτρου αντίθεση με το αίσχος των σημερινών ψευδο-μουσουλμάνων, η νηστεία είναι βασικά η μύηση του ανθρώπου στην αφαγία. Κάτι τέτοιο είναι ασύλληπτο για τους σημερινούς ψευδο-μουσουλμάνους των μεγαλουπόλεων οι οποίοι περιμένουν πως και πως την ώρα που θα αρχίσουν να καταβροχθίζουν ό,τι υπάρχει στον μπουφέ.

Στους 14 αιώνες ισλαμικής ιστορίας, γνωρίζουμε πολύ καλά ότι οι άνθρωποι εργάζονταν κανονικά κατά την διάρκεια της ημέρας ενόσω ενήστευαν. Σήμερα αυτό έχει καταργηθεί και η απλή πρόταση “νηστεύω” χρησιμεύει ως απαλλαγή από κάθε καθήκον εργασίας σε μία εταιρεία – εννοείται χωρίς καν να αφαιρείται ο μισθός μιας ημέρας, όπως θα απαιτείτο.

Τέλος, και ακόμη χειρότερα, η νηστεία τηρείται από τους σημερινούς μουσουλμάνους ως “απόδειξη” υπεροχής τους έναντι των Χριστιανών, των Ινδουϊστών, των Βουδιστών και άλλων. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι μία θεάρεστη πράξη όπως η νηστεία έχει καταλήξει σε πρόκληση αλαζονείας και απροσμέτρητου εγωϊσμού – κάτι το οποίο είναι παντού, πάντοτε και για τους πάντες εντελώς σατανικό.

Αν θα έγραφα σήμερα ένα τρίτο άρθρο περί Ραμαζανιού, θα εστίαζα στην διαμόρφωση ενός άρρωστου και αντι-ισλαμικού, απάνθρωπου χαρακτήρα τον οποίο διαμορφώνουν στους ψευδο-μουσουλμάνους η αντι-ισλαμική θεολογία και η πολιτική ιδεολογία, οι οποίες έχουν από καιρού αντικαταστήσει την θρησκεία ανάμεσα στις σύγχρονες ‘μουσουλμανικές’ κοινότητες. Αυθεντικό Ραμαζάνι μπορεί όντως κανείς να βρει σε πολύ απόμακρες και απομονωμένες περιοχές με ελάχιστη τεχνική-τεχνολογική υποδομή: από το Σουδάν και την Σομαλία μέχρι το Χαντραμάουντ της Νότιας Υεμένης, τα βουνά του Ιράν και της Κεντρικής Ασίας, και μερικά νησιά της Ινδονησίας.

Ο κ. Μπαϋρακτάρης χρησιμοποιεί το περιεχόμενο των άρθρων μου και στοιχεία από συζητήσεις μας, καθώς και την δική του εμπειρία από δεκάχρονη και πλέον ζωή ανάμεσα σε μουσουλμανικές κοινότητες, για να απορρίψει τα αστοιχείωτα λεγόμενα του δημοσιογράφου κ. Χειλαδάκη ο οποίος, όπως σωστά λέει ο κ. Μπαϋρακτάρης, δεν είναι ούτε τουρκολόγος ούτε ισλαμολόγος. Νομίζω ότι το θέμα είναι αλλού: ο κ. Χειλαδάκης δεν έχει ποτέ του καταλάβει, όπως όλοι στην Ελλάδα, ότι η ‘επιστήμη’ δεν είναι προϊδεασμένη προπαγάνδα και η παρουσίαση μιας οποιασδήποτε κατάστασης δεν γίνεται για να υποστηριχθεί το τι αρέσει στον λέγοντα ή στον γράφοντα αλλά για να αντικατοπτρισθεί η αλήθεια. Μισώντας το αντικείμενο της όποιας, έστω επιφανειακής, έρευνάς του, κανένας δεν είπε την αλήθεια.

Και ο κ. Χειλαδάκης, αντί ηλιθίως να χαρακτηρίζει το τι δεν έχει μάθει και συνεπώς καταλάβει, θα έπρεπε να απορρίψει την ψευδόχριστη και αντίχριστη Εκκλησία της Ελλάδας, δηλαδή τον σατανικό εσμό αποδοχής ομοφυλοφιλικών γάμων, εκτρώσεων και πλήθους άλλων ανομιών τυραννικώς επιβεβλημένων εν Ελλάδι από τους άνομους νόμους και την γενική σήψη που επικρατεί.

استقر مصطح ”دراما رمضان“ ليشري إىل كثافة املسلسالت ذات العرض األول خالل شهر  رمضان والتى
تحظى بنسبة مشاهدة مرتفعة. وعىل الرغم من التنافس الشديد بين هذه المسلسلات إلا أنها  تعكس تناقضات بين
روحانية الشهر وما تبثه من أفكار تخالف نمط غالبية المشاهدين، والتناقض الأكبر بين ما يوجهه الجمهور من
انتقادات لها وبين ارتفاع نسبة المشاهدة.

This study examined the effects of Ramadan fasting on various training regimes, running endurance performance and recovery in a controlled environment.  Twenty male athletes (fasting and non-fasting) performed a 20m shuttle run test (20SRT) pre and post a 4-week periodized training programme. Training loads from various types of exercises, ratings of perceived exertions (RPE), total quality recovery (TQR) and heart rates were daily monitored.  No significant differences existed between groups for SRT, heart rates, training volume and RPE. A strong relationship (r=0.88; p<0.05) was evident between TQR and recovery duration (modalities: stretching, cool down, swimming, whirlpool and sauna) for fasting athletes. In conclusion, Ramadan fasting does not affect the achievement of daily training goals and the improvement of endurance performance throughout a mixed endurance and strength training programme where daily undulating periodized models are used. Allowing athletes to freely select from various recovery modalities above the 26 min span daily, can eventually increase their training recovery under Ramadan fasting conditions.

Setiap datang bulan Ramadhan, umat selalu bertanya tentang apa saja yang dapat menyempurnakan ibadah puasa. Yang disayangkan, pertanyaan-pertanyaan itu selalu menyorot aspek hokum ibadah, yang lebih bersifat teknis, dan melupakan aspek substansi dari ibadah puasa Ramadhan, yang menjadi pokok diwajibkannya ibadah puasa. Padahal, kedua aspek tersebut sama-sama penting. Pemahaman terhadap substansi ibadah tanpa dibarengi dengan pengetahuan teknis, akan berakhir ibadah yang dilakukan tidak akan diterima. Kaidah ini dikemukakan oleh Ibnu Ruslan, seorang ulama fiqih Syafi'I, di dalam karyanya Azzubad.

Ramadan Ceria: buku yang memuat kajian dasar tentang pelajaran agama Islam untuk anak-anak seputar fiqih, tajwid, hadis, tarikh dan al-Quran. Semua materi disajikan dengan mudah dan sederhana. Cocok untuk pengajaran di tingkat dasar. Umumnya dipakai untuk pembekalan spiritual anak pada bulan Ramadan. Buku ini disusun oleh Dr. H. R. Taufiqurrochman, MA sebagai sumbangsih untuk pendidikan anak-anak muslim. Silahkan di donwload dan disebarluaskan, tapi tetap mencantumkan penulisnya.

This edited book is a collection of useful pearls on ramadan - words of Islamic scholars about the blessed month. Book comprises of easy-to-read short articles which can be a great companion to prepare for ramadan and make the most out of it.

The notion of the days of creation, culminating in the hallowed seventh day, or Sabbath, is found in all three Abrahamic faiths. While some believers held to a literal understanding of these days, others insisted that the doctrine had profound esoteric import.  In the Islamic tradition, those who championed the role of intellect in understanding faith and scripture advocated the use of symbolic interpretation (ta'wil).  The Arabic word ta'wil means to cause something to return to its origin or source.  Among the most ardent advocates of symbolic interpretation were the Ismailis, one of the two major branches of Shi'i Islam.  This article explores how Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw, the famous Persian poet and Ismaili dignitary, understood the days of creation and their relationship to a hierarchy of religion (hudud-i din) who led believers to ultimate salvation.

A reflection on the 26th Juz of the Quran, Surah 48: 13 connecting the occasion of revelation with the spiritual being of Bilal ibn Rabah, the black light of Iranian Sufi wayfaring, and its historical manifestation among people of African descent, particularly through the freedom struggle of Blackamericans.

Résumé
Tandis que le repas occupe une place importante dans la vie religieuse juive, chrétienne ou musulmane, il appert que la pratique du jeûne y occupe elle aussi une place centrale. Qu’implique cette prescription au plan théologique ? Comprend-elle une exhortation à renoncer à nourrir l’organisme, à mépriser ce monde ? Ou bien a-t-elle au contraire pour fonction de nous préparer à célébrer les fruits de la Création au cours d’un repas ? De nous permettre de mieux apprécier la saveur d’un « dé-jeûner » ? J’explore dans cet article les implications théologiques du jeûne dans le judaïsme, le christianisme et l’islam. J’étudie les écrits de certaines figures spirituelles (mystiques, moines, ascètes) relatifs à cette pratique et je m’efforce de comprendre quelle relation au corps, à la Création, à la vie et à la mort induit le jeûne dans les trois religions étudiées.

Abstract
Whereas the meal occupies an important place in Jewish, Christian or Muslim religious life, it appears that fasting also occupies a central place in these traditions. What does this religious obligation imply theologically ? Is fasting an exhortation to forego feeding the body, to scorn this world ? Or, on the contrary, is fasting a practice preparing us to celebrate the fruits of Creation during a meal ? To better appreciate the taste of a « break-fast » ? In this article, I will explore the theological implications of fasting in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I will study the writings of some spiritual figures (mystics, monks, ascetics) related to this practice and try to understand what relationship fasting induces with the body, Creation, life and death in each of these three religions.

According to the Quran and the authentic Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) three actions nullify fasting: eating, drinking and intercourse. Therefore, the passing of any solid or liquid substance that can be described as food or drink, in any quantity through the gullet (oesophagus) would nullify fasting.

Recent statistics and available data show that Saudi Arabia is one of the countries with the lowest levels of physical activity and the highest levels of sedentary behavior, as well as a lack of sufficient
sleep. The absence of national guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration that incorporate cultural differences have prompted the development of the Saudi 24-Hour-Movement guidelines. Promoting physical activity has been on the agenda of the Saudi
government and other national organizations over the past two decades and is a priority of the Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

The dire warning for not listening to the prophet Elijah has a curse of a plague upon the world that matches the Covid19 lockdowns.  Correcting the matter requires a return to the Biblical Ramadan that has delightful clues that have been missed by everyone until this research that ties in the authentic Ark of the Covenant and as well the anointed individual that brings forth the authentic relic so long sought!  The season of Passover where the removal of Chametz is NOT what traditions are now teaching is explained.  The season of Ramadan starts with the Passover and week of the Festival of Unleavened Bread and the count to the 50 days Festival of weeks called Shavaout. The fast of Moses and the fast of the Messiah are mysteries now solved.

During Ramadan, Tunisian TV channels used to present to the Tunisian audience a variety of shows (cooking shows, religious programs, recitation contests and chant the Qur'an, skits, etc.) and Tunisian and Arab series.

In light of the consecutive technological developments that are taking place in the media landscape, we jump to the discussion of social media content presence in the era of media hybridization and integration. This may be applicable also to discussing television programs on these electronic platforms, which not only provide new contents, but also new
patterns of content creation treatment and distribution.

Through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the various social media platforms of our research corpus, we clearly demonstrated that social media are considered as a second screen whose viewers use to watch their television series during the month of Ramadan. This
can be justified by advancing two reasons: The first is the non-availability of the viewer during the display of the series, and the second is  the rich content available on the social media compared to what the traditional TV offers.

Background Although Muslim diabetic patients may be aware of their religious exemption from fasting, many still fast and adjust their medication regimens accordingly. Pharmacists have a significant potential to identify and prevent harm from medication misuse in Ramadan. Objectives This study examines Egyptian pharmacists’ knowledge regarding management of diabetes during Ramadan. It also explores pharmacists’ willingness to attend a 1 day workshop on medication regimen adjustment during Ramadan. Setting Community pharmacies throughout Alexandria, Egypt. Methods A cross-sectional study using a pretested self-administered survey was conducted among a random sample of community pharmacists. The survey included three knowledge questions relevant to counseling diabetic patients during Ramadan. Questions covered the recommended timing and dosing for metformin and insulin as well as the safe blood glucose range required for diabetic patients to safely continue their fast. Using logistic regression, a model was estimated to predict pharmacists’ willingness to attend a workshop on the adjustment of medication regimens during Ramadan. Content analysis was used to analyze pharmacists’ answers to the question concerning what they would like the workshop to cover. Main outcome measure Pharmacists’ aggregate scores for all three diabetes management knowledge questions and pharmacists’ willingness to attend a workshop on the adjustment of medication regimens during Ramadan. Results Ninety three percent of the 298 approached pharmacists agreed to participate. Forty three pharmacists (15.9 %) did not know the correct answer to any question, 118(43.7 %) 24 answered one correctly, 86 (31.9 %) answered two correctly and only 23 (8.5 %) answered all 25 three correctly. Confidence in therapeutic knowledge regarding medication regimen 26 adjustment during Ramadan was not associated with the pharmacists’ knowledge of diabetes management during Ramadan. One hundred seventy five (63.6 %) pharmacists wanted to attend a workshop on adjusting medication regimens during Ramadan. This was significantly associated with pharmacists being Muslim (OR 3.52, CI 1.70–7.27) and of younger age (OR 30 = 0.98, CI 0.96–0.99978). Pharmacists offered specific content and communication process 31 suggestions for the workshop content. Conclusion This study identifies variability among community pharmacists’ knowledge of diabetes management during Ramadan. It also shows willingness among the majority of pharmacists to learn more about the topic

Bliski Wschód wobec wyzwań i zagrożeń współczesności, red. Marta Woźniak-Bobińska, KBWiPA UŁ, Łódź 2020, ss. 153, ISBN 78-83-63547-07-3

Abstrakt in Polish:
Ramadan jest dla muzułmanów czasem wyjątkowym pod względem religijnym. Jednocześnie to najważniejszy sezon w arabskim przemyśle filmowym. W Egipcie, podczas ramadanu, po modlitwie po zachodzie słońca rodziny zasiadają wspólnie do posiłku. Czas umilają im seriale. Są one bardzo popularne. Mogą nie tylko bawić, ale przez ich ogromny zasięg stać się przyczynkiem do refleksji, a nawet ostrzegać społeczeństwo przed pewnymi działaniami.
W artykule zaprezentowano analizę dwóch seriali – Abu Umar al-Masri oraz Ard Gaww pod kątem dwóch problemów: terroryzmu i nielegalnej imigracji. Pierwszy z nich powstał w 2018 roku, a drugi – w 2017. Ukazano motywy, jakie kierowały bohaterami, dobrymi, zwykłymi ludźmi, którzy zdecydowali się dołączyć do organizacji terrorystycznej czy podjęli próbę nielegalnej imigracji. Autorka artykułu odpowiedziała na pytania, czy obraz prezentowany w telewizji został przedstawiany obiektywnie, czy twórcy marginalizowali tak istotne problemy. Zbadała także, czy w produkcjach poświęcono uwagę jedynie wyżej wspomnianym problemom, czy próbowano przedstawić widzom powody ich wystąpienia i ewentualne konsekwencje. Ponadto autorka podjęła próbę wydedukowania, dlaczego twórcy seriali zdecydowali się na takie przedstawienie całego zagadnienia.

Abstract
Ramadan is a special period for Muslims in terms of religion. It is also the most important season in the Arab film industry. In Egypt, during Ramadan, after prayers at sunset, families gather together to eat. TV series are also there with them to enhance their time together. They are very popular. They are not there for entertainment alone, but, thanks to their vast array, they can trigger reflection and can even warn against certain activities.
The analysis of two TV series – Abu Umar al-Masri and Ard Gaww – is presented in the article from the perspective of two problems: terrorism and illegal immigration. Abu Umar al-Masri was released in 2018 and Ard Gaww in 2017. Shown in these were the various motives which may lead heroes, good and everyday people to join terrorist organisations or to attempt illegal migration. In this article the author answers the question as to whether the image presented in the television shows was objective or if the creators of the series marginalized important problems. She also investigates whether the productions only paid attention to the above-mentioned issues, or if they tried to present reasons for them happening and any possible consequences. She also attempts to  determine why the creators of these series decided to present the subjects in the ways they did.

In August 2011, Malaysian television station 8TV's three Ramadan public service announcements (PSA) garnered shocked responses from Malaysian Chinese viewers nationwide for their presumably ethno-condescending overtones. What may on the surface appear to be an issue of simple oversight by the broadcaster reveals upon closer examination to be indicative of two realities – the hierarchised interfaith and interethnic normative, and the increasing vocality of minority groups who seek to reconfigure this normativity. I posit that both realities are directly and tangentially productive of the very same racial-racist beliefs that were challenged. There are two facets to our inquiry – the purportedly "non-racist" intent of 8TV, and the racial lens through which the content was decoded. This paper discusses the paradox of Malaysian racial discourse through Žižek's transposition of Lacan's fantasy to the socio-political domain as ideological fantasy writ large on screen, where by alleging that 8TV's intent was racist, viewers were in fact identifying the gap between the symbolic discourse of Malay supremacy and its material realities. Moreover, by identifying with or alleging that 8TV's intent was racially-biased, it is argued that the viewers were necessarily racialist.

Purpose of Review Sleep, circadian rhythms, and fasting/feeding are important factors that affect cardiometabolic function. Here, we review recent studies that assessed the role of intermittent fasting, short sleep duration, and circadian rhythm disruption, as well as their interactions, on the risk of cardiometabolic dysfunction. Recent Findings The cardiometabolic system is sensitive to sleep, circadian rhythms, and fasting/feeding patterns. Recent data show that these factors may influence each other and hence, directly or indirectly affect cardiometabolic risk. Fasting/feeding schedules and mealtimes may cause misalignment of the circadian system resulting in several cardiometabolic disturbances. Recent data reveal that intermittent fasting (IF) improves several cardiometabolic indicators in both laboratory animals and humans maintained on IF diets during alternate day fasting, diurnal IF, or time-restricted feeding. However, most of the human studies recruited a modest number of participants and did not control for several confounding factors that may have affected the measurement of cardiometabolic parameters, such as sleep duration and timing, energy expenditure, and light exposure. Summary Current evidence shows that IF, sleep, and circadian rhythms can affect cardiometabolic risk both individually or collectively. IF, adequate sleep, and matching mealtimes with the circadian clock improve several cardiometabolic parameters. More extensive human studies that assess the interaction between the three factors in the general population are needed to complement the currently available short-term laboratory-based human studies.

Sentiamo una donna gridare. I suoi bambini sono piccoli e
tranquilli nei giubbottini e giocano tra loro, fratellino e sorellina,
a rincorrersi. Fila alla cassa, kebab e moretti. Non si trovano
le valigie: non si trovano, le hanno prese, per questo la donna è
nel panico, e per questo vedo Youssef alzarsi dal nostro tavolino
e raggiungere il proprietario. Bisogna risolvere perché la donna
e piccoli tra poco hanno l’autobus per Roma. Hanno appena lasciato
il CARA di Mineo, e queste valigie bisogna che tornino,
bisogna che si sappia chi le ha prese, con i tablet e i soldi, e per
questo chiedono a Youssef, buono e perduto, tunisino malacarne,
magrissimo lupo, che è violento quando serve, in difesa di, per tirare
a campare senza annegare. Annegare qui, nel ventre magro
della città, che tutti contiene, sfama e affama.