Qat causes nervous tension for men [Archives:2007/1093/Reportage]
The Family and Development Magazine conducted an a opinion poll of 73 persons under the age of 35)52 males and 21females. The poll focused on the reasons behind nervous tension during Ramadan. Youth categories had been questioned as they are mostly affected by nervous tension. This targeted category belongs to different working parties, public and private. They come from different backgrounds and various educational institutions.
“Switch on and switch off strategy”
Sadiq Shamsan , a secretary of one of the capital secretariat courts, said, “Switching the electricity off during working hours makes him feel nervous. It is the worse thing to be done while you are fully occupied doing your duties. Electricity is off every night in Ramadan.”
Nervousness causes crimes
Saqr As-Samawi, a lawyer, stated, ” I feel very nervous during the daylight of Ramadan especially after Al-Assr prayer.” Hunger and changing the way of life are the driving force behind nervous tension, he added. He spent a lot of time with his children in Ramadan. He is very surprised at the behavior of people as they pay very close attention to their food. The crime rate remarkably increases during the holy month of Ramadan, he further maintained.
Congestion comes before “call for prayer”
Ameen Al-Warafi, a journalist, pointed out that fasters feel very nervous before the call for prayer. It is remarkably observed when they are in the markets and streets.
Work and staying up at night
Saddam Al-Kamali, who is a private sector employee, feels nervous though he does not chew Qat. He thinks that work and staying up at nights cause nervousness. Most of the people are obliged to work while being sleepless. This is reflected during their working hours. People find it very hard to finalize their deliberations during Ramadan. They may be not completed in Ramadan due to negligence of the employees.
Family harmony
On the contrary, Abdullah Sa'eed does not feel nervous in Ramadan. He suffers only from staying awake at night. He deals with his family with familiarity and harmony. Familiarity and comfort increases among his family members.
Changing life style
Ameen Al-Warafi affirms that the key reason behind nervousness is changing the way of life. It is radically changed. The daylight becomes night and vice versa. Staying awake caused by chewing Qat is another reason of nervousness.
Men are more nervous than women
Most of the informants unanimously agreed that men are more nervous than women in Ramadan.
As-Samawi thinks that women have no right to be nervous before their husbands due to the masculine nature of the community. So, men are more nervous.
Iftar meals make women nervous
Abdullah Sa'eed urges that men are exposed to nervousness mostly. Women are away from violence. They have delicate nature. ” The most nervous people are those who fast unwillingly. They fast only to make an excuse of fulfilling this obligation. They are not spiritually exalted nor morally purified. Fasters who know the importance of fasting do not feel angry or nervous,” he added.
However, Saddam shared that women are more nervous than men because the former feel exhausted due to making Ramadan meals.
Fatma thinks that men are more nervous than women. It is attributed to their work and staying awake at night caused by chewing Qat. She , however, says that women are more exposed to nervousness especially if they work outside and have home liabilities such as looking after children and or making Iftar meals.
Fighting and chases
Asma'a, a computer teacher, thinks that children are the cause of nervousness. Disputes take place between neighbors because children have fun in the morning while adults go to bed. These disputes cause fighting between neighbors, bringing them into police stations. Female students and women are exposed to flirtation and chasing by some street loiterers. The later make use of empty streets and alleys in the morning to do so. Asma's biggest problem is that she stays awake at night, though she does not chew Qat.
“I do not feel nervous. I rather become quite more in Ramadan. Most of the people feel nervous at the climax hour, before Iftar time,” Fatma Doghan shared.
Nervousness affects couples
Most of the poll's participants affirm that disputes taking place between couples are more in Ramadan. They may end it up by divorce.
In this respect, the social researcher, Nabeel Al-Hamadi, says, “Couples' disputes and divorce are caused by the living circumstances of Ramadan. This holy month requires a lot of demands bringing disputes between the couples particularly in the families with low income. Sometimes the husband is jobless. The wife can tolerate that but she could not do so in Ramadan. She becomes impatient. This is a common thing in my point of view. In Ramadan, families should be provided with all the food supplies dispensable in the other months.”
“Divorce may occur in this holy month due to the influence of nervousness as well as to problems caused by Ramadan living circumstances such as hunger and staying awake at night. Some of the couples can not keep a curb on their anger, so divorce happens by trivial causes,” Al-Hamadi added.
The researcher also affirms that the youth category is mostly exposed to nervous tension. Youths chew Qat and stay awake. They do not have enough experience at life and are negatively affected by the deteriorated economic situations, he further explained.
The Questionnaire's findings
The findings of the questionnaire indicate that 39 participants including 6 females confirm that the main reason behind the nervous tension is the deteriorated situation of the economy)namely price hikes. Some of these foodstuffs disappeared. Consequently, people become more worried.. Hence, family disputes take place driving fathers and housewives nervous.
Moreover, Qat chewing changes the Yemenis' daylight into night and vice versa. They stay awake at night, falling asleep in the morning. As a result, most of the employees of the administrative system are being absent or nervous if present. Here is the special problem of Ramadan in Yemen.
Furthermore, women are more tired in the whole days of Ramadan, involving in making Iftar meals.
Security opinion
The Major of Al-Ka'a police station, Faris Al-Absi, shares with us saying: “Police stations face great pressures during the holy month of Ramadan especially stations located nearby markets. Problems occur during daylight particularly in the afternoon as well as in As-Sahour time, adding that two gross crimes happened in the last Ramadan. The first one is a murder and the second one is an attempt to commit murder nearby the police station.”
An official source in the criminal investigation bureau released that the murder rate, informed by daily notices during last Ramadan, reached to five killings every day.
However, different crimes occur every single minute in addition to the gross crimes. In 2006, Yemen topped the Arab countries with the highest rate of crimes where 15,645 took place. Furthermore, material losses of criminal acts were estimated at YR 3.385.931.391 according to the statement of major general Mohammed A. Al-Qawsi, deputy of the Ministry of Interior for public security affairs.
Legal Opinion
Yahya Nasser Al-Dorah says, “fasting is a spiritual worship before it is a physical one. Fasters should maintain good manners of fasting and worshippers. Fasters should be more patient and more tolerant of others during this month.”
Al-Dorah also maintains that those who fast unwillingly are troublemakers in Ramadan. They seek to do so under the pretext of fasting. They fight with one another. Allah, the Almighty, is not in need of their fasting.
Nervousness, follies and being impatient are not caused by fasting nor are they morals of fasters. They refer to the morals of the individuals themselves, indicating their weak belief in God.
Strong believers are patient and able to tolerate troubles as well as to keep a curb of their anger and fancies. They act according to the instructions of the prophet. Mohammed (pbuh).
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