At this stage of the month it is definitely as much about consumption as about fasting. Both around noon and later, before and after iftar, downtown Amman is choked, heaving with people buying and buying. Food, clothing, sweets, toys. We’re looking for curtains, but are overwhelmed by the onward rush of people with more urgent needs.
Perhaps “needs” is too strong a word. Is this social pressure to give a way of subverting the serious message of Ramadan ? Is the Muslim world going to lose its soul-feeding festival to the body-feeding demands of commercialism, in the same way that the Christian world has lost Christmas ? We would have to talk more to more families to know this. Of course we all need to eat. And of course we would hate to deny young Omar his toy truck. Or Farrah her gaudy, frilly party frock. But do we need to swallow this, from a Benetton-style multi-poster campaign in both Jordan and Lebanon: “Everybody deserves new clothes” ?
Farewell tonight to two of our number, returning to France after bringing such cheerfulness and culture and courage to all our doings. They have deeply immersed themselves in this city, this country, this region, and have made such interesting connections. Determination and hard work on the language have paid dividends. But parting is such sweet sorrow !
