RAMADAN BEGINS

Every morning, I wake up twice. The first time is when the prayers commence to leak out of the mosque speakers into the quiet of the morning. The second time is a couple of hours later when the sun breaks over the tower-free horizon. The evenings, like the early mornings, buzz with overlapping audio range of the surrounding mosques; they often sound like mosquitos near my ears, when I sit in comfort of my room. In Tamale, Islam is a part of my life.

In accordance with the Islamic calender (composed of 13 months of 28 days, adding to a total of 364 days - similar to the Mayan calender, and other lunar calenders), and in-line with the precepts of The Holy Qur'an and the Hadith (sayings of the prophet), Muslims around the world will be fasting for the next 30 days. The use of a calender that differs from the Roman one that the West uses, causes Ramadan to fall within different months of our calender (a few years ago it was in December, but it is now in September).

The actual fasting began yesterday, with the new moon, and restricts food and beverages (including water) from dawn to dusk (that is 4:30 am to 6:15pm in Tamale); the exceptions to this are those that are ill, travelling, or pregnant. This fast also includes all sexual activity, and any action, media or form of speech that is not in line with the teachings of Islam.

This is a very relevant fact for me, as most of the people that I work with, and the family I live with are fasting. Actually, Teressa, the 18 year old daughter of Muslim parents is Catholic, so she is not fasting; but most people around me are. One amusing point is how many people have one reason or another for not fasting (including myself, "I am still recovering from getting sick...and I am travelling").

I did fast on the first day though, and I will be fasting one day a week until the Ramadan is complete. Interestingly, when I woke up on Saturday, I had an intution that I should fast. I had no idea that we were approaching the beginning of Ramadan though. I had thought that it would be in November or late October (as I recall it being around December and November in previous years).

Before I left Sakumono, Mama Ackerson also suggested that I fast once a week and really focus in prayer. She suggested that I fast on Sundays as my Ghanian name, Kwesi, means born on Sunday.

It is interesting to note that business approaches have changed slightly for the month as so many people are fasting. So why are there so many Muslims in Northern Ghana?

One interesting thing that I found out was that Ghana is actually the namesake of a Kingdom (the Empire of Ghana) that stretched through present-day Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger (primarily). During the time that Europe was suffering such catastrophes as the 'black plague' (check the irony), this African empire was thriving and was the world capital of scholarship (ever heard of Timbuktu, one of histories greatest centres for learning...ever!...so maybe it should have been called the white plague...hahaha...not so funny???...sorry, it was a really serious time).

Anyway, the 22 kings held their own for awhile, but then the spread of Islam swept through West Africa, and stretched as far south as the area now known as Northern Ghana.

Interestingly, Dagbani, the local language in Tamale actually has a noticable arabic influence.














This photo is of Larabanga, Ghana's oldest mosque, and can be found 72 miles west of Tamale. It is estimated to have been built in 1421.

For another great photo that I can't copy (or I would have), go to http://www.crawfurd.dk/photos/weekly/2005w33.htm