There is a Double Standard About Fighting During Ramadan

by HOWARD M. BERLIN

11/9/2001

There seems to be a lot of second-thinking about the wisdom of continuing the bombing raids and possible ground fighting during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. As the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan this year begins at sunset on November 16 and requires Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset throughout the month. The proposed fear is that offensive strikes during Ramadan would be "insensitive" to Muslims worldwide. To all of the nay sayers, I would like to remind them what some of the Islamic world did during Ramadan of 1973.

The Arab countries of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on October 6, which happened to be Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the calendar year for Jews. As such, much of Israel’s Jewish population were in synagogues for prayer and fasting. Israel was then caught by surprise, not that it would been any better if the attack was launched on any other day. During Yom Kippur, observant Jews fast for the entire 25-hour period.

What was not widely reported then or now was that the 1973 attack coincided with the ninth day of Ramadan. Apparently, the insensitivity critics of today now have a double standard. It was ok for these Arabs, virtually all of whom professed to be Muslims, to attack Israel and by extension, the Jews on their holiest of days. However we are being lectured to by some that it is considered insensitive for us to continue targeted offensive strikes during Ramadan against al-Qaeda and its Taliban landlords, both groups that follow a highly distorted view of Islam. Whether it is one holy day or one holy month, the politically correct sensitivity crowd can’t have it both ways.

It is my understanding that the Qur’an allows for war during Ramadan if it is for the purpose of advancing a jihad, an Islamic "holy war." If we are to uphold patriotic mottos like "God Bless America" and in "God We Trust," why aren’t we then justified in pursuing our own "holy war" against the Taliban and al-Qaeda during Ramadan. Unfortunately, there are few rules of war and as we have seen the recent past, there is no rule that prohibits fighting on religious holidays. Hesitation and indecision by our nation’s politicians has previously doomed us in Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. Let’s learn from history and not repeat some of the same mistakes.