RAMADAN SAWM
Ramadan began this week all over the world. Sawm, one of Islam’s five pillars, requires fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan. It starts when fajr, the first Call to Prayer, echoes through the wee hours of morning, raising the sleepy to perform prayers. Then it’s a busy morning before the sun comes up, because all the eating and drinking for the day must happen before daylight. Dhuhr, the second Call to Prayer, comes around noon. Stomachs growl, thirst sets in, and smokers fight cravings they can’t satisfy. Asr sounds in the afternoon. Ritual prayers are performed, but…