Fatma Hachani
Student, 30
(Tunisian)
Ramadan is the hardest month for me to be away from my family and country. I spend weekdays working in the lab. From 2 p.m. I start to feel tired. Not eating is not a major problem for me, but not drinking in such an exceptionally hot summer is a challenge! I realize that water is a great blessing and should be consumed responsibly. I'm experiencing the suffering of people living in countries with insufficient drinking water. And this is one of the greatest messages of Ramadan: patience and humility.
Ayman Atia
Student, 32
(Egyptian)
Ramadan in Japan is unique. I feel that I'm different from everyone around me, and my friends always think I'm a fool because "not eating and drinking is so hard, man." But I think spending Ramadan here makes me focus more on the meaning of it: training my soul to control my desires. I also enjoy the prayer gatherings every night and meeting many people from different cultures. In our countries we just pray and return home, but in Japan we have discussions and try to help each other out.
Haslia Hassan
Housewife, 29
(Malaysian)
Fasting in Japan — especially in summer — is challenging. The fasting time gets longer, from about 3:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. We have to wake up as early as 3 for sahur (food before fasting). We also don't have lots of choices of food to eat like in my country, Malaysia. Usually, when I feel like eating my favorite food, I search for the recipe on the Internet and cook it myself. But since Ramadan is a time when we should be thinking of the poor and feeling what they feel, we should not eat too much when we break fast.