Sometimes rituals play an important symbolic role. The month of Ramadan is one of those that today has a symbolic role beyond a ritual. Ramadan is considered not only by Muslims and Islamic powers as a symbol of religious identity but also by Western leaders interacting with Muslims.
Amir Maghdoor Mashhood
In this article, I try to show that attention and respect to symbols can be considered as a possibility for interaction between people with different religious and ethnic identities but to achieve a peaceful life, it is necessary to agree to the basic principles of human rights before accepting diversity. For this purpose, I show that Ramadan has different functions in different political systems. Therefore, relying on the symbols of identity and acceptance of diversity alone will not open the way to world peace. Before that, adherence to fundamental human rights and principles is necessary for peace among plural people.
Ramadan in the West
For several years, Western leaders have been trying to somehow respect the beliefs of the people of the world, especially Muslims, in different ways. In this, Ramadan has a special role. Every year, at the beginning of Ramadan, we see respectful messages from Western leaders. A quick look at the messages of several recent presidents of the United States on the occasion of the beginning of Ramadan reveals some remarkable points.
George W. Bush in congratulatory messages for the month of Ramadan, always mentions the fruitful presence of Muslims and their role in enriching life in America. He believes that the American political system is an opportunity for followers of different religions to experience a fruitful life together.
Barack Obama believed that the month of Ramadan invites minds to our common responsibility that we should behave well and kindly towards each other, as well as basic principles such as peace, justice, and equality that all religions of the world adhere to.
Like George Bush, Donald Trump points to the peaceful presence of Muslims in America under the law of this country and believes that “Ramadan reminds us of the richness that Muslims add to the fabric and religious structure of American life. We in the United States are blessed to live under a Constitution that supports religious freedom and respects the practice of religion. Our constitution guarantees that Muslims can observe Ramadan according to what their conscience dictates and without government interference. In doing so, the Constitution also provides all Americans with a variety of opportunities to deepen their understanding of the human spirit.”
Joe Biden mentions Islamophobia in his Ramadan greetings message and says, “Islamophobia has no place in the United States; America was founded on freedom of belief and participation of all immigrants, including Muslim immigrants. For the first time during my presidency, a national strategy to combat Islamophobia has been prepared.
The common denominator of the message of the Presidents of the United States on the occasion of Ramadan is based on the freedom of religion and opinion under the banner of the Constitution and the foundations of the formation of America. They believe that the American political system has provided the opportunity for people of different religions to experience a peaceful life together. As most American presidents have said, the possibility of a peaceful life for people with different religions and beliefs is only possible due to the existence of the constitution and political system, which is based on human rights and the separation of religion from politics.
Religion in the private realm can be a source of comfort, meaning, and enjoyment of life’s gifts for many. What can be seen in the Ramadan messages of the presidents of the United States refers to the same aspect of religion, but when religion leaves the private realm and conquers the public realm and above that, the political system, does it still have such a function? Together, we will go to the policies of the religious regime of Iran to see if Ramadan promises peace, friendship, and peaceful life in this country.
Ramadan in Iran
In Iran, everyone is required to fast during the month of Ramadan, and refusal of fasting is considered a crime, according to Islamic punishment, the crime of refusal to fast in public is imprisonment from ten days to two months or up to 74 lashes. This year, the head of the police monitoring the public possibility said: If people observe refusal to fast in any place, they should call the police and inform them, and if they continue to follow up and it does not reach the result, they should report it to the headquarters of the Ministry of Prosperity and Prohibition of Evil.
Fasting is not obligatory for travelers and since this year Ramadan coincides with the Nowruz holiday, Nowruz travelers do not have to fast. The Islamic government has issued many instructions to resolve this contradiction. Among other things, the prosecutor of one of the cities of Iran (Zarand) has said: “All restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shops, that have a license to operate in Ramadan must offer their services by completely covering the places that are in public view.” and receive travellers and people who have a religious excuse, out of sight. He stated that people’s cars are not considered private and pretending to fast in the car will also be subject to legal action.
Above, I showed two different uses of a religious symbol, Ramadan, in the political system of two countries. In one of these countries (the United States), Ramadan is a symbol through which the government tries to provide a peaceful life for diverse people. But in another country (Iran), this same symbol becomes the cause of the separation of people, monopoly of citizenship rights, and hierarchy of power.
This difference is rooted in the foundations of government and political system of the two countries. On the one hand, we are facing a country that is based on human-centered modern values. Being human in this intellectual system alone can be considered a value and credit. Symbols are meaningful and respectable because they are related to humans. Human gives credibility to the symbol. In such a political system, a religious symbol such as Ramadan is honoured because it is part of the beliefs of Muslim humans. But on the other hand in Iran, being human is not a criterion of rights and value. Humans are classified according to their beliefs, religious affiliations, and behaviors under the religious rules. Such a political system is fundamentally unable to provide equal citizenship rights for diverse people. What determines citizenship rights is people’s way of life under religious rules.
Unfortunately, in recent years, this fundamental difference has been neglected, and this neglect has caused the growth and development of the power of enemy groups with human rights standards. Although many thinkers and activists defending pluralism by criticizing modernism (postmodernists) have sought to interact with anti-human regimes and groups, including Islamists, with a humanistic perspective, phenomena such as the dual approach to Ramadan show that the basic principles of human rights cannot be ignored.
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