Muslims Try to Shield Ramadan from Commercialization

RNS’s Omar Sacirbey looks at the effects of commercialization on the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in this week’s full-text article, linked above.

Quotes:

“There’s no doubt that there’s commercialization,” said Mohammed Abdul Aleem, CEO of Islamicity.com, a mainly educational Web site that also sells a variety of Islamic-themed goods through its online “bazar.” “But the nature of Ramadan forces you to focus on the spiritual aspect, and the commercial aspect is quite minimal because it’s 30 days of fasting, and the prayer rituals that are within Ramadan, they are difficult to commercialize.”

and

“We’re not taught to be austere in all aspects,” said Adnan Khattak, a sales manger at http://www.islamicbookstore.com. “Having family-oriented fun is not discouraged.”