Fast in order to get healthier [Archives:2008/1190/Opinion]
Al-Khadher Al-Hasani
This is the holy month of Ramadan. It comes to us this year as peoples' living conditions have worsened, prices of foodstuffs and other basic commodities have skyrocketed, and Yemeni citizens begin to complain about their vulnerable condition.
Inflation and price hikes have proliferated in an unprecedented way, the purchasing power of many people declined, and means of extortion and cheating multiplied in popular markets where citizens rush to buy their food and other necessities.
All such things happen while politicians and political parties (ruling and opposition) are extremely engaged in discussing constitutional amendments, particularly in what regards the electoral system and General Election Law, as well as the proposed amendments to this law.
Irresponsible tradesmen practice scandalous extortion against consumers and cheat them, while politicians practice a kind of extortion of their own. In addition, members of the political parties under the name of Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) practice all forms of extortion against the authority and people of beloved Yemen.
The authority, on the other hand, is not aside from blame as it commits numerous inexcusable mistakes and irresponsible practices in favor of certain individuals, with funds coming from public money, supposed to be spent on services for the oppressed and affected people of Yemen in all of the southern, northern, eastern and western parts of the nation.
Ramadan is a month of worship and fasting, and both words imply that a Muslim citizen must refrain from exercising all taboo and illegal habits, not only from eating and drinking. They should abstain from producing irresponsible statements that are meant to eliminate every beautiful element in the nation.
When we claim that people should quit evil practices as well as administrative, financial and moral corruption, the main objective is that we all remain committed to the principles of Islam.
Islam is a religion that lifts injustice and oppression from human beings and eliminates all causes of human slavery, not only during Ramadan, but throughout the months of the entire Hijra calendar year.
Ramadan is a faithful school that cultivates peoples' ethics and behaviors. Do political party supporters of negative intent and irresponsible tradesmen learn what Ramadan means for them? Do they know what the holy month really means for Muslim believers?
We must avoid exaggeration while speaking about price hikes, as well as extremist thoughts and ideas, and be moderate in our everyday behaviors and habits. Opposition members should not claim what is impossible or miraculous in order to be integrated with the current regime.
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