Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting, is practised by Muslims around the world, including Thailand. Having begun earlier this month, it is a time for Muslims to practise self-restraint, by not just fasting from dawn to dusk from food, drink, sexual activity, impure or unkind thoughts, and more. Ramadan is also a time of reflection.
To form a better understanding of what Muslims experience during Ramadan, Life caught up with two Thai Muslims, a TV journalist and an Imam, each devout in their own right, to find out what the holy month means to them.
Kusuma Yodhasmutr
TV personality
Bangkok-born Kusuma recalls fondly how as a young girl she used to make excuses to her family to get out of fasting during the month of Ramadan, ending up getting a walloping when discovered.
"I did not grow up in a conservative Muslim household, but when it came to practising Ramadan, it had to be followed to the T," said Kusuma, host of Thailand Today, which airs on NBT World. "My mother was a modern Thai Muslim woman, but when it came to the holy month, she made sure that her children knew the importance of fasting and keeping a check on one's behaviour through the month.
"Knowing me well, she could easily catch me fibbing when I called from school to tell her that I had vomited, so in other words wouldn't be in the best of conditions to fast. I used to come up with all sorts of excuses back then because I was too young to understand the importance of not just fasting but also practising self-restraint."
Kusuma Yodhasmutr, host of Thailand Today on NBT World, says the benefits of Ramadan is the cleansing of the soul and body. YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
Of course, as a child, Kusuma said she loved all the mouthwatering dishes she and her fellows got to enjoy when they broke their fast. Her mother taught how God forgives the past sins of those who observe the holy month with fasting, prayer and faithful intention. Kusuma's mother came from an upper-middle-class family, and because she had the opportunity to study in a Catholic school, and had relatives work in the royal household, she knew exactly how to balance her faith, traditions and culture in the most appropriate manner.
Kusuma, a mother of four daughters, has come a long way since her prankster days got her into trouble with the elders in her family during the month of fasting.
Ramadan began to take on new meaning in her life as she got older. For one, fasting helped her digestion improve, as well as her overall health. Being mindful of what she did and said reduced the urge to gossip and speak ill of others.
"The month-long fasting helps me become an overall better person. It teaches me to be more tolerant of difficult people, and get less agitated by their behaviour.
"Above all, I would say this is probably the only month that brings families closer to each other than any other time. My family is one of many. My husband is a medical doctor, and so is hardly at home, while both of my daughters work in stressful occupations which see them return home late. This makes it very difficult for the entire family to have a meal together. It is during Ramadan that this happens. We are also more focused on thinking about others."
Kusuma said fasting should not be done out of obligation but rather willingness. It is a mindset that can benefit the person's entire being. "As a human, I do struggle with certain things I need to do during Ramadan. One is reading the Koran -- sometimes it becomes a task as I return home tired. I am working on rectifying this.
"I don't push myself too much on certain things that are not compulsory," she added.
Kusuma hosts Thailand Today on NBT World Channel. Photo Courtesy of NBT World, Thailand Today
Some of the questions most often asked by her non-Muslim friends include whether Muslims can swallow their saliva during Ramadan, whether they get hungry during the day, and what she does to not get thirsty.
"I tell them that we would probably die in droves if that was so. Just not drinking water the entire day signifies your delinquency. Also, the hunger is always there. A lot depends on the food one eats prior to their fast. The first day of fasting is the most severe, because we tend to eat all sorts of spicy and salty dishes that makes us thirsty. The following days become easier."
Fasting, for Kusuma, means she has to work twice as hard to not show her weakness. "I don't want my non-Muslim friends and colleagues to feel that I need special treatment during the fasting period.
"I might be physically at my wits' end but have to put on a brave front. This builds my character."
Kusuma's wish on Ramadan is to see better understanding between Buddhists, Muslims and Christians in the country.
"Thailand is a Buddhist country, and this will always be the case. Living in harmony is the best way forward in a world filled with strife and religious intolerance.''
Sutee Gateprasit
Imam at Jami-ul-islam mosque
Even since the age of 10, Imam Sutee has practised Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer that has profoundly impacted his spirituality.
However, as a youngster, he admits, it took him time to realise its benefits, and of course its importance to his faith.
The spiritual leader of Jami-ul-islam mosque in Bangkok struggled with the physical hardships that come with refraining from food and water for long periods of time. Coming from a devout Muslim family, he saw his family members fast since he was young. When he was old enough, his parents trained him to fast for half a day first, so he could get used to it. By age 10, Sutee knew he was ready.
"As a child I really struggled with having to abide by the obligation of giving up on food and water for hours on end, so I complained a lot. My parents nonetheless kept me in line. They used to bang on my bedroom door at four in the morning, so I could get up and eat my last meal before beginning my fast for the day."
Imam Sutee Gateprasit of Jami-ul-islam mosque. YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
Sutee said that during his childhood and young-adult years, his favourite sweet dish during Ramadan was butter toast with condensed milk. His main meals then consisted of curries and steaks, all in the hope that a heavy meal would help him feel less hungry during the day.
"To my chagrin, I found oily and greasy meals didn't work because I ended up feeling more thirsty and rather constipated during the entire day. Through the years my meals have become lighter on the stomach. I opt for boiled rather than fried dishes, which has helped greatly."
Sutee's parents also taught him from the beginning to not use the Ramadan period as an excuse to take a break from his daily chores.
"It was physically and mentally a torture for me to return home from school and be told by my mother to go and pick coconuts from the trees in our backyard. I used to feel that it was already such a task to be fasting, and so felt it was unnecessary that I had to use all the energy I had left from the day in helping out with housework.
"Of course, my parents taught by example, and it was during my late teens when I realised how fasting and praying build my character, built perseverance in me, and taught me to resist the desires of the flesh during the holy month."
On a lighter side, Sutee said that while more non-Muslims in the country are better aware of Ramadan today, he still gets comments and questions about the holy month that often put a smile on his face.
"One question I am often asked by my non-Muslims friends is why I need to fast, because their religions don't ask them to. Don't I get hungry and thirsty when I fast? Or, 'Oh, so you have begun fasting — now that means you will not be joining us for lunch'.
"These questions amuse me, and I do my best to explain patiently. Buddhists and Muslims have coexisted for centuries in Thailand. There is nothing we cannot sit down to discuss so misconceptions can be erased."