RE: Off Topic -Happy Ramadhan

  President Clinton's Ramadan Message
  (A message of friendship and respect to    Muslims around the world)

   THE WHITE HOUSE
   Office of the Press Secretary
   November 22, 2000

   VIDEOTAPED REMARKS OF THE
   PRESIDENT IN RAMADAN MESSAGE    THE PRESIDENT: It is a privilege to deliver    again this year, on behalf of the American    people, a message of friendship and respect    to Muslims around the world as they begin the    sacred month of Ramadan.

   As America's six-million-member Muslim    community grows in numbers and prominence,    Americans of every religious tradition are    learning more about the origins and meaning    of Islam. That on "the Night of Power," the    Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet    Muhammad and revealed to him the first    verses of the Koran. That the Koran declares    that Ramadan was the month Allah's words    were sent down, and so should be spent in    fasting. [... full text available]

http://www.usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/nea.htm

---end excerpt---

(see also http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/pk3/wwwha017.html )

The most traditional/orthodox use the method (from Hadith?) of visual inspection of a white and black thread, and when the color difference can't be distinguished, then it is "dark" (or presumably vice versa for dawn).

( http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/story.htm )

I don't know how flexibility from the thread tradition can be justified in "legal" (theological) terms, but it must have been done by some authority. Obviously it is common sense to not fast 100% for an entire (lunal) month in polar regions where there is never any sun, or one would be dead.

Here is an orthodox web site:

http://www.islamicvoice.com/december.99/ramadan.htm

---excerpt---

   "Fast in Abnormal Time Zones

    In abnormal time zones where the sun either does not     rise or set for months, the times of the nearest normal     region should be taken for beginning and ending the Saum."

---end excerpt---

general info on muslims in america:

 http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/islam.htm

regards,
ep

On 5 Dec 2000, at 12:05, Rama Malladi wrote:

Date sent:      	Tue, 05 Dec 2000 12:05:33 -0800
To:             	Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
From:           	"Rama Malladi" <rmalladi_at_inteliant.com>
Subject:        	RE: Off Topic -Happy Ramadhan

> Just curious ... How do Muslims in Scandinavian countries fast from dawn to
Received on Tue Dec 05 2000 - 20:13:16 CST