Page 32 - Nadide Okulları, 23 Nisan 2023

RAMADAN CONNECTS PEOPLE

Written by Saadet YÖNTER
Was born on 22nd October 2009. Lives in Başiskele. Goes to 8-B at Private Nadide Secondary School. Dreams to be a police officer.

Today our teacher wanted us to write about our Some Americans got curious about Islam as they
first day of Ramadan. It was about eight or nine were surprised to see someone fasting in a war.
years ago but I remember it like yesterday. I was They wanted to learn more.
in the USA because I completed my education
there and became a very good doctor. All of a They said: “Fasting must be something
sudden, a war broke out. The USA was fighting wonderful.” And they wanted to know more about
against my country, Turkey. It was really tough Ramadan and Islam. So, I told them everything I
for me. There were many injured people and as I knew, and they decided to fast with me. They
lived in the USA, I thought it was my duty to be a had their first sahoor. We all ate together, and
volunteer. I started to work, and I looked after they were very happy when they saw that I
the war victims. I was Turkish but I was also a prepared sahoor for them. Most of the people in
doctor, so I was fair, and patients were patients. the USA were talking about fasting and Islam as
It was the 12th day of Ramadan, and most of my a result, the number of the fasting people
patients prepared food for me to thank me but increased. I wrote a letter to Türkiye about this
when I said that I would not eat, they all got very issue and the commander of the Turkish army
upset and asked the reason. When I said that I who saw my letter was very happy about this
was fasting, they asked me: “What is fasting?” news and signed a ceasefire. After that day,

there wasn’t a conflict between the USA and
I explained it exactly as follows: “I am a muslim Türkiye. Everyone understood that fasting was
and muslims don’t eat or drink during daylight the reason for peace.
hours, including water during in the month of
Ramadan. Fasting is important
during Ramadan because it
allows individuals to
devote themselves to
their faith and it also
brings them closer to
God, Allah.”

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