I'm Not a Muslim - What Could Ramadan Mean to Me?

I was interested to see a recent WA blogpost by MohdAnwar on the imminent approach of Ramadan.

I don't subscribe to any religion but I live in Australia where many people celebrate Christmas. When shopping in December, it is common for store personnel to say 'Merry Christmas' and even though I don't celebrate it, I say it in return. Why? To be polite and acknowledge the feelings of general goodwill, peace and joy floating around at that time of the year and reflect it back at the well wisher. I wish those things to them too. I also understand the 'backstory' behind Christmas and I acknowledge that the message of a holy child,a Jewish refugee miraculously born in Bethlehem during troubling times, is a strong symbol of hope?and love for many.

But what about Ramadan? I live in a great multicultural society and I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I know very little about Ramadan. I think that sometimes, just referring to it brings out anti-Islamic sentiment from people who know as little as I do. But what if we just found out a little bit more about it?

I know Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and that it was the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Mohammed. I believe that the month's worth of fasting expected of Muslims during Ramadan is to help direct one's attention away from worldly activities and towards more spiritual pursuits. I understand that many Muslims increase their charitable contributions at this time of year as they become more attuned to the hardships of those less fortunate.

These goals sound lofty - as lofty as the hopes for joy, peace and goodwill to all that people share so freely at Christmas. Wouldn't it be nice if we had 2 months of the year where people felt the love, no matter its inspiration.

Anyway, I'd be very happy to hear the views of Muslims - both practising and unpractising - on what Ramadan means to you. It would be nice if I could walk into some of the great businesses in our area that I know are run by Muslim people and greet them with a few words that show I understand and respect where they're at. That I see them and that their devotion to Islam as something I support - much like I say 'Merry Christmas' shows I support Christian people's devotion to the Christian ideals they espouse and that I share.

Even though I'm not a Christian or a Muslim, we still have common human values that stretch towards being better people, willing to extend a helping hand to others and open to sending positive messages to all people.