Saturday, May 27, 2017

Manama: Algerians will have the longest fasting day in the Arab world this Ramadan with abstention from food and drink for up to 16 hours and 44 minutes.

The shortest fasting day will be in Somalia with 13 hours, Kuwaiti daily Al Rai has calculated.

In the Arabian Gulf, Muslims will be fasting for an average of 15 hours a day throughout the month that will last 29 or 30 days.

Fasting hours in Egypt, the most populous Arab country will be between 15 and 16, while in Yemen, they will be less than 14.

Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria will fast for 16 hours, slightly more than Muslims in Africa who will fast for up to 14 hours.

Muslims in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur will fast for 14 hours whereas in India, the fasting day will be 16 hours, but only 12 hours in Australia, the daily added.

It will be 17 hours fasting day in Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, but 13 in Mexico and less than 10 hours in Argentina.

In France and Germany, the fasting day will be around 16 hours, but further north, it will be up to 20 hours in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, the daily said.

In the north-western Russian port of Murmansk, the city has 24 hours of sunlight and Muslims are advised to time their fasting on the closest neighbour country with a clear distinction between day and night.

“However, in cities where there is no sunlight for even 30 minutes, Muslims must fast the 23 hours and a half,: Ahmad Al Haji, a Kuwaiti scholar was quoted as saying by Al Rai. “Only those who are too old or physically unfit have the permission not to fast.”

By Habib Toumi Bureau Chief

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.