Somebody posted a question, some time ago, about whether the war would/should be fought during Ramadan. There was an excellent article in the local paper today which I thought I'd summarise in case whoever-it-was is still interested. Ramadan, this year, starts today or tomorrow depending where you are in the world.

Fasting and similar religious observance during Ramadan are restricted to able-bodied adults of sound mind who are not travelling. Those who are required for critical tasks, including military personnel, do not need to fast if it will impair their performance.

Islamic law forbids warfare during four months of the year (the article did not say which ones, or why), but it's fine to wage war during Ramadan. Some Muslims believe Ramadan is, in fact, the *best* month in which to wage war.

Major battles in the Islamic world have frequently started or continued during Ramadan, in all ages of Islamic history. Most recently, Egypt and Syria started the 1973 war against Israel during Ramadan, and Iran and Iraq fought throughout the holy month during the 1980-88 war.

Brunnen-"so there you have it"G