Ramadan
Ramadhan is the month of liberation and victory. Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on those who can do it. Sick people and some travelers in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able. The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual focuse, as the night on which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The end of the month is marked by the celebration of 'Eid-ul-Fitr, a traditional practice not a religious one.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. Ramadan for the year 1423/ 2002 began on November 5, 2002 for all of the United States. The last day of Ramadan was December 4, 2002. Ramadan for the year 1424/ 2003 began on 26-27 October 2003 for all of the United States. The last day of Ramadan was 24-25 November 2003. Ramadan for the year 1425/ 2004 begins on 16 October 2004 for all of the United States, and the last day of Ramadan is 14 November 2004.
First Day : 10/15/2004 Last Day : 11/12/2004 First Day : 10/04/2005 Last Day : 11/02/2005 First Day : 09/23/2006 Last Day : 10/22/2006 First Day : 09/12/2007 Last Day : 10/11/2007
The Night of Power, when the words of Allah first came to Muhammad in the cave on Mount Hira, occurred during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. It is not clear on which night the revelation occurred.
The US decision not to interrupt its bombing in Afghanistan during the month of Ramadan gave rise to harsh criticism in the Arab and Muslim world. US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's comments that Muslims had, throughout history, fought during Ramadan, led to a wave of protest in the Arab media. American allies in the war on terror in Afghanistan and Islamic leaders pressed for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
President Clinton said he ordered a strong, sustained series of US air strikes against military and security targets in Iraq on 16 December 1998 because Saddam Hussein "failed to seize" his last chance to cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. An immediate attack was unavoidable, the administration maintained, given the impending holy month of Ramadan. In explaining the timing of the strikes, he noted that "For us to initiate military action during Ramadan would be profoundly offensive to the Muslim world and therefore would damage our relations with Arab countries and the progress we have made in the Middle East. That is something we wanted very much to avoid." Operation Desert Fox sent 650 air sorties and 400 cruise missile strikes against Iraq, but it was called off after 70 hours, ostensibly to avoid bombing during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
There were a number significant battles during the month of Ramadan in which Allah granted victory to Islam and Muslims. "The great battle of Badr, which took place in the month of Ramadan, was the first battle between believers and infidels. The Muslims demonstrated rare heroism, setting their souls on the points of their lances and preferring martyrdom to remaining alive. Allah gave them a mighty victory for Islam. In The Battle of the Ditch, the Muslims trained for this battle [during Ramadan], even though it [actually] occurred in the month of Shawal, which comes after Ramadan. The conquest of Mecca in the battle of Badr, where the Prophet Mohammed fought against the infidels, took place on 17 Ramadan, 624 AD. The battle of Tabouk, also took place in the month of Ramadan. In this battle the soldiers of Islam, under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah, established in Tabouk a training and fighting camp during the month of fasting, so as to show the strength of the Muslims in the clash with the Byzantine army. The Muslims conquered Rhodes during the month of Ramadan. During the month of Ramadan a great Muslim victory was won over the Crusaders under the leadership of Salah Al-Din [Saladin] Al-Ayubi. His advisors counseled him to rest from the Jihad during the month of fasting, but Saladin insisted on continuing the Jihad during Ramadan.
Fighting took place over two Ramadans in the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Fighting continued through nine Ramadans during the Yemeni Civil War from 1962 to 1970.The Yom Kippur War is also known as the 6th of October war of 1973 and the 10th of Ramadan War. On the 10th of the month of Ramadan in 1973, the Egyptians crossed the Suez Canal. During Lebanon's civil war from 1975 to 1990, fighting took place over the course of seventeen Ramadans. Ramadan cease-fires during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s often did not hold. In 1981 and again in 1987, Iran rejected Iraqi offers for a Ramadan cease-fire. In 1986, Christian forces called for a Ramadan cease-fire, which lasted two weeks. The first Palestinian intifida, lasting from 1987 to 1993, was waged over six Ramadans. There were at least 20 examples of Ramadan violence by Muslims during the Algerian civil war in the 1990s.
In November 2000 Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee stated that India would initiate a unilateral cease-fire in observance of the holy month of Ramadan as a step towards peace in Kashmir. But widespread fighting continued between Indian forces and the guerrillas in Jammu-Kashmir.
The United States faced this situation before in Vietnam. In that case, the holiday was the two-day Buddhist and cultural celebration called Tet, a combination of New Year's, All Souls Day and Thanksgiving. Tet was celebrated in the Communist-controlled North and by American allies in the South. A cease-fire on Tet was a long tradition in the Vietnam conflict and it generally had been upheld by the Communist North since at least 1963. On Jan. 30, 1968, however, North Vietnam launched a massive, coordinated assault on the first day of Tet.
