Iraq’s prolonged political predicament and soaring prices for essential foodstuffs have overshadowed Ramadan this year, dampening the festive spirit for many Iraqis.
Ramadan, when observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, began on Saturday for Sunnis while Shiites started on Sunday due to the differing moon-sighting techniques that each sect follows.
Many Shiites prefer to see the crescent with their naked eye, while Sunnis often use telescopes or follow Saudi Arabia’s lead.
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Shoppers flock to a textile market in the north Indian city of Srinagar days before Eid Al Fitr, the festival that ends the month of fasting. AFP -
An iftar gathering at Sunahri Mosque in the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar. AP -
A young worshipper waits to break his day-long fast in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. AP -
Afghans line up to receive ration aid donated by the Chinese government during Ramadan, in Kabul, Afghanistan. EPA -
Children play at the Sarkhej Roza complex in Ahmedabad, India, during Ramadan. AFP -
A family takes a selfie as they wait to board a free bus, sponsored by Indonesia's Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, to their home village in Central Java. AP -
Muslim protesters gather to eat iftar in front of the president's secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA -
The Jama Masjid mosque in Allahabad. AFP -
People head to the railway station in Dhaka to buy train tickets ahead of Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. AFP -
People shop ahead of Eid Al Fitr in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
A man prays on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar. Reuters -
Bangladeshi Muslim students read the Quran in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA -
Reading the Quran during Ramadan is considered a rewarding act by Muslims, such as this man at a mosque in Pakistan's northern city of Peshawar. EPA -
Egyptian confectioner Mostafa Anwar makes a traditional oriental dessert called 'Kunafa' in Cairo. AFP -
The faithful break their fast during Ramadan in Colombo, Sri Lanka. AFP -
Muslims break their Ramadan fast at an open iftar outside the Royal Albert Hall in London. Reuters -
Iftar spread is laid out at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of New Delhi, India. EPA -
A young worshipper at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of New Delhi, India. AFP -
Orphans read copies of the Quran at the Majamma Nuruljinan in Pattani, southern Thailand. AFP -
A volunteer prepares iftar food at a shrine in Dhaka, Bangladesh. AFP -
Muslims break their fast at the Shah-E-Alam shrine in Ahmedabad, India. AFP -
A worker in Lahore, Pakistan, dries vermicelli used to make a traditional sweet dish popular during Ramadan. EPA -
Lorry drivers pray before breaking their fast in Lahore, Pakistan. AP -
Women offer prayers during the first Friday of Ramadan at the historic Badshahi mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan. AP -
Men attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA -
A man prepares food for devotees to end their fast at the Jama-e-Masjid Aiwan in Hyderabad, India. AFP -
Muslims leave after offering first Friday prayers at the Badshahi mosque. AP -
Muslim girls read the Quran before the start of the Friday prayers at the Jamia mosque in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters -
A man looks through a sunshade tent erected for worshippers in the compound of Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India. AP -
People attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
Bangladeshi Muslims visit the mosque after attending Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan at a Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA -
Workers fry sweets at a traditional confectionery shop in the Afghan capital Kabul. AFP -
A young girl enjoys a great view of evening prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. AP -
A Muslim shopkeeper selling hijabs waits to have his iftar meal during the holy month in a street market in Mumbai. Reuters -
Blind Muslims read the Quran in braille in Medan, Indonesia, during the holy month. AFP -
A Muslim places food for people to break their fast on a roadside in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
A worker prepares vermicelli, used to make traditional sweet dishes popularly consumed throughout Ramadan, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India. AFP -
Women gather for prayer at a mosque in Narathiwat, Thailand. AFP -
An Indian worker stacks vermicelli at a factory in Allahabad, India. AFP -
Sugary drinks are prepared for iftar in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA -
Preparation for iftar is under way at a mosque in Kolkata, eastern India. EPA -
A woman reads the Quran as she waits for iftar at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA
“How can we feel the joy and happiness of Ramadan while we experience unprecedented injustice?” Youssife Haider, a street vendor of souvenirs outside a revered Shiite shrine in Baghdad, told The National.
“We have all the resources and economic potential that other nations envy us for, but we are going through all kinds of tragedies."
In the weeks before Ramadan, prices for many imported food items and construction materials increased between 20 per cent to 50 per cent after the Russian military campaign in Ukraine was launched on February 24.
That has exacerbated the effect of the currency devaluation, a policy implemented by the Iraqi government at the end of 2020 due to a significant decline in oil revenue, which pushed the war-ravaged nation into a budget deficit.
Recovering from war
Mr Haider lost the use of his legs when Al Qaeda terrorists sprayed him with bullets in 2006, the worst year of Iraq's sectarian chaos which engulfed the nation after the US-led invasion of 2003.
That attack left the 52-year-old father of one in a wheelchair, using a catheter to urinate. A small black bag is wrapped around his waist when he collects money.
“Iraq is making billions of dollars each month, but we have no government or real politicians who work for us, they are only a group of people working for other countries,” he said from behind his stall where he sells rosaries and praying mats along with other religion-themed souvenirs.
Nearly six months have passed since Iraq held its national elections yet the country still has no government due political wrangling over who will take the role of president, prime minister and leading Cabinet positions.
The standoff is mainly among the majority Shiites.
The populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, whose Sadrist Bloc was the clear winner in October's election with 73 seats, has blocked some of his Iran-backed Shiite rivals from becoming part of the new government.
His rivals have teamed up in a parliamentary bloc that has hindered his efforts to elect a new president, despite their heavy electoral losses.
Through boycotting successive votes for a new president in parliament, they are blocking a crucial step in government formation — once a president is sworn in, he nominates the winning bloc which then forms the government.
The political crisis took a new turn on Thursday when Mr Al Sadr said he was stepping back and giving his rivals, the Co-ordination Framework, the chance to form the government. He has given them 40 days.
“Ramadan is not for us but for the politicians,” said Haider Ali Qassim, 46, the owner of a shop, selling women's bags and shoes in Baghdad’s Karrada commercial district.
“Many people can’t find anything to eat and they are squabbling over the government for [nearly] six months now."
He recalled how his neighbour knocked on his door late on Saturday to ask for two eggs for the suhoor meal, eaten before the call for dawn prayers.
“We didn’t see anything when the [barrel of] oil sold at $40 and now we are also seeing nothing at $120 price."
Despite the gloomy atmosphere, many families have decorated their houses with lights, big crescent moons and traditional Ramadan lanterns, known as 'fanous' in Arabic.
Strings of colourful lights hang from the minarets of the mosques and their inner walls, along with banners that glorify the Prophet Mohammed and Ramadan.
"We pray to the almighty Allah to make this month a blessing month, and to overwhelm us and the Muslims with good, security, peace and love,” said Yilmaz Yousef, Imam of the Sheikh Abdul Qader Gilani Mosque in Baghdad.
“Also, we ask the almighty Allah to make people care for each other and to remove this gloom over the nation and give them a share of his blessing and mercy, and the blessings of this holy month."
Some merchants have launched initiatives to sell food at cheaper prices.
Among them is Khalil Ibrahim Hashim who offers essential food items at wholesale price. He also offers a seven-item food basket at a discounted price of 10,000 Iraqi dinars (about $7).
“The poor are the ones who contribute to the festive spirit of Ramadan,” Mr Hashim says, standing outside his shop displaying an array of food with discounted price tags on each item.
“The government must intervene and help them — we can’t offer them all they need all the time."
