PA prohibits eating in public during month of Ramadan

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik





The PA has called on the Palestinian police to arrest anyone who eats in public during Islam's month of Ramadan, which started this week. The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the highest PA religious official, called on the PA police "to act against anyone who breaks the fast in public, in preparation for legal steps against them."



District Governor of Jenin Ibrahim Ramadan, likewise announced a prohibition against eating in public. Both called on cafés and restaurants to be closed during the daytime.



Although it was not mentioned specifically, in previous years these PA religious restrictions against public eating, were enforced against Christians as well.

The following are the articles in detail:



Headline: "The Grand Mufti calls to respect the sanctity of the blessed month of Ramadan"

"The [PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and Chairman of the [Palestinian] Supreme Fatwa Council Sheikh Muhammad Hussein blessed the Islamic nation in general and the Palestinian people in particular for the blessed month of Ramadan (i.e., Muslim month of fasting). He called to preserve its sanctity, and also called on the owners of restaurants and cafés to close them during the daytime hours of Ramadan in order to preserve the month's sanctity.

He called on the [PA] Security Forces to act against anyone who breaks the fast in public, in preparation for legal steps against them."

[WAFA, official PA news agency, May 21, 2017]





Headline: "District Governor Ramadan issued a notice about the month of Ramadan in which he called to guard the sanctity of the blessed month"

"District Governor of Jenin Ibrahim Ramadan issued a notice for the approaching blessed month of Ramadan, in which was stated: ...‘It is absolutely forbidden to harm the sanctity of the honorable month by eating and drinking in public. It is also forbidden for all of the restaurants and cafés to serve food or drink during the period of the fast and not to show any sight that would harm the sanctity of this month.'"