Ibn Warraq resumes his Ramadan musings after a 24 hour computer outage!
Your computer is fasting, someone suggested. Or maybe you got so vague during Ramadan, you forgot to pay your bill? Whatever the reason, the Diary is now up and running again. Thank you for the emails and messages of concern, which only arrived once we had internet again. Shukran!
While the computer outage slowed things down, nevertheless we managed to get out into the streets of Fez where the boys were watching the girls and the girls were eyeing off each others outfits. Henna, tiarras and even some junior stilettos.
Laylat al-Qadr and Laylat Sabawachrine, are two of the biggest nights and days of Ramadan. And, talking of big...
The Mega f'tour
Last night 12,000 people took part in a collective Iftar meal tonight in Casablanca on the occasion of Laylat al Qadr, the Night of Destiny. The event was catered by Rahal, a well known organiser of large parties. This was his biggest ever and was at the behest of King Mohammed VI.
Taking place near the Hassan II Mosque, it was a superb gift for the lucky ones amongst the tens of thousands of worshipers preparing for the at Taraweeh prayers performed after the Isha prayer during Ramadan.
At the same time the royal palace in Casablanca welcomed around 1,000 officials for another collective Iftar.
There was an odd moment during the prayers following f'tour. An explosion of noise inside the mosque caused panic among the faithful, raising fears of a terrorist attack. Some people were injured and taken to hospital by the emergency services.
According to witnesses, all the excitement was due to the appearance of a mouse in the enclosure reserved for women. The sound heard outside the mosque is thought to have been caused by a loudspeaker falling over during the stampede.
For the record, while feeding 12,000 is a memorable feat, imagine doing that every night of Ramadan. That is what takes place in Iran's shrine city of Mashhad every year. It is described by Iranian TV as "world's largest Iftar".. Over the thirty days of Ramadan, some 360 thousand people are served food to break their fast. The tablecloths stretch over nine kilometres.
Mine is bigger than yours is a factor here. Imagine the upset faces in Saudi Arabia when they discover that their to have entered the Guinness Book of Records with the "world's largest iftar" doesn't even come close. However, they must have friends in high places because despite serving Iftar to only 4,000 people, their Arabic language daily Sabq is claiming victory.
"Experts from Guinness attended the event and documented the banquet as the world's largest," the Arabic language daily Sabq said.
The 1508-metre-long meal table may well be a record, but the number of participants lags way behind the other contenders. The shindig was organised in the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah by Prince Mashal bin Majid bin Abdul Aziz, a member of the royal family and Emir (prince) of Jeddah province.
Hopefully, they will not be too embarrassed by the fact that Morocco and Iran dwarf their efforts (except in length).
The 27th - A Day for the kids
Dressing up was the order of the day and, despite the heat the clutch puses were being clutched , the high heels were wobbly but most of the tiara's stayed in place. And yes, there were some boys and even babies.
Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...
Hicham junior came up to his father one day: "Dad, where did I come from?".
Hicham Senior was shocked that a 10 year old would be asking a question like that.
He was hoping to wait a few more years before he would have to explain the facts of life, but he figured it was better a few years early than a few days too late, so, for the next two hours he explained everything to his son.
When he was finished, he asked his son what prompted his question to which his son replied, "I was talking to the new boy across the street and he said he came from Casablanca, so I was just wondering where I came from."
See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE DAY FIVE DAY NINE DAY THIRTEEN DAY SEVENTEEN
DAY TWO DAY SIX DAY TEN DAY FOURTEEN DAY EIGHTEEN
DAY THREE DAY SEVEN DAY ELEVEN DAY FIFTEEN DAY NINETEEN
DAY FOUR DAY EIGHT DAY TWELVE DAY SIXTEEN DAY TWENTY
DAY TWENTY-ONE DAY TWENTY-TWO DAY TWENTY-THREE DAY TWENTY-FOUR
DAY TWENTY-FIVE DAY TWENTY-SIX
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Your computer is fasting, someone suggested. Or maybe you got so vague during Ramadan, you forgot to pay your bill? Whatever the reason, the Diary is now up and running again. Thank you for the emails and messages of concern, which only arrived once we had internet again. Shukran!
While the computer outage slowed things down, nevertheless we managed to get out into the streets of Fez where the boys were watching the girls and the girls were eyeing off each others outfits. Henna, tiarras and even some junior stilettos.
 |
| Day Twenty-seven was a day for the children. Dressing up to the max |
Laylat al-Qadr and Laylat Sabawachrine, are two of the biggest nights and days of Ramadan. And, talking of big...
The Mega f'tour
Last night 12,000 people took part in a collective Iftar meal tonight in Casablanca on the occasion of Laylat al Qadr, the Night of Destiny. The event was catered by Rahal, a well known organiser of large parties. This was his biggest ever and was at the behest of King Mohammed VI.
Taking place near the Hassan II Mosque, it was a superb gift for the lucky ones amongst the tens of thousands of worshipers preparing for the at Taraweeh prayers performed after the Isha prayer during Ramadan.
At the same time the royal palace in Casablanca welcomed around 1,000 officials for another collective Iftar.
 |
| Part of the vast crowd of worshipers in Casablanca |
There was an odd moment during the prayers following f'tour. An explosion of noise inside the mosque caused panic among the faithful, raising fears of a terrorist attack. Some people were injured and taken to hospital by the emergency services.
According to witnesses, all the excitement was due to the appearance of a mouse in the enclosure reserved for women. The sound heard outside the mosque is thought to have been caused by a loudspeaker falling over during the stampede.
For the record, while feeding 12,000 is a memorable feat, imagine doing that every night of Ramadan. That is what takes place in Iran's shrine city of Mashhad every year. It is described by Iranian TV as "world's largest Iftar".. Over the thirty days of Ramadan, some 360 thousand people are served food to break their fast. The tablecloths stretch over nine kilometres.
 |
| Mega Iftar in Mashhad in Iran |
Mine is bigger than yours is a factor here. Imagine the upset faces in Saudi Arabia when they discover that their to have entered the Guinness Book of Records with the "world's largest iftar" doesn't even come close. However, they must have friends in high places because despite serving Iftar to only 4,000 people, their Arabic language daily Sabq is claiming victory.
"Experts from Guinness attended the event and documented the banquet as the world's largest," the Arabic language daily Sabq said.
The 1508-metre-long meal table may well be a record, but the number of participants lags way behind the other contenders. The shindig was organised in the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah by Prince Mashal bin Majid bin Abdul Aziz, a member of the royal family and Emir (prince) of Jeddah province.
Hopefully, they will not be too embarrassed by the fact that Morocco and Iran dwarf their efforts (except in length).
The 27th - A Day for the kids
Dressing up was the order of the day and, despite the heat the clutch puses were being clutched , the high heels were wobbly but most of the tiara's stayed in place. And yes, there were some boys and even babies.
Another of Hamid's moderately funny jokes...
Hicham junior came up to his father one day: "Dad, where did I come from?".
Hicham Senior was shocked that a 10 year old would be asking a question like that.
He was hoping to wait a few more years before he would have to explain the facts of life, but he figured it was better a few years early than a few days too late, so, for the next two hours he explained everything to his son.
When he was finished, he asked his son what prompted his question to which his son replied, "I was talking to the new boy across the street and he said he came from Casablanca, so I was just wondering where I came from."
Saha F'tourkoum!
See Ibn's Ramadan Dairy
DAY ONE DAY FIVE DAY NINE DAY THIRTEEN DAY SEVENTEEN
DAY TWO DAY SIX DAY TEN DAY FOURTEEN DAY EIGHTEEN
DAY THREE DAY SEVEN DAY ELEVEN DAY FIFTEEN DAY NINETEEN
DAY FOUR DAY EIGHT DAY TWELVE DAY SIXTEEN DAY TWENTY
DAY TWENTY-ONE DAY TWENTY-TWO DAY TWENTY-THREE DAY TWENTY-FOUR
DAY TWENTY-FIVE DAY TWENTY-SIX
Please feel free to contribute your Ramadan stories, thoughts, observations and photographs. You can contact me via The View from Fez contact page. Just put "Ibn's Diary" in the subject line - Shukran!
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