How serious is Jordan about 'respecting' Ramadan?

Last week, the new Jordanian interior minister issued special instructions to prevent any "violation of the sanctity" of the holy month of Ramadan, in private institutions and public spaces - including public transport.

The instructions included orders for restaurants and cafes to close during daylight fasting hours, and for all shops selling liquor to completely close down for the month - or face legal action.

The Interior Ministry asked all citizens and expatriates living in Jordan to "refrain from disrespecting the holy month, respect public decency and avoid offending those observing the fast".

Working around the rules

Decisions like these are nothing new in Jordan, however.

They are not usually strictly enforced, and restaurants and hotels that have tourist licenses are exempt and continue to serve food and alcohol to their clientele during Ramadan - though these venues tend to be somewhat exclusive.

The Interior Ministry asked everyone 'to refrain from disrespecting the holy month, respect public decency and avoid offending those observing'

Some liquor shops and supermarkets will continue to sell alcohol under the radar, according to a number of alcohol store owners we surveyed in the Jabal Amman area.

The lax enforcement of the law means Ramadan in Jordan is not as harsh an experience for non-fasters as it is in other countries, particularly in the Gulf.

Non-observing Muslims, Christians, and Western expats in Jordan also participate in the Ramadan tradition, if not in the fast itself.

Rami Habib, a Jordanian taxi driver who identified himself as Christian, confirmed this, saying many Christians even fasted alongside their Muslim friends, and made sure their smoking and consumption of food does not take place in public to avoid offending fasters.

Nevertheless, there is an impression among many in Jordan that the government is taking a tougher line this year.

Officially, eating in public during fasting hours - from dawn to sunset - is a criminal offence in Jordan, punishable by up to one month in prison and/or a fine of 25 dinars ($35).

The law has been enforced in the past, even against non-Muslims, but mostly against those breaking it in a very conspicuous manner, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed Arabic's correspondent in Jordan.

Some Western expats we spoke to said they were not taking any chances - stocking up on enough alcohol to last them the month. On a more sober note, nervousness regarding the new interior minister's instructions has triggered a debate, albeit a limited one, online and on social media.

Tolerance or hypocrisy?

Eating in public during fasting hours is an offence in Jordan punishable by up to one month in prison and/or a fine of 25 dinars ($35).

Duaa Ali says the government's supposedly relaxed attitude when it comes to enforcing Ramadan-specific laws is not relaxed enough.

She accuses the Jordanian government of hypocrisy - boasting of tolerance in the kingdom while continuing to institutionalise a bias in favour of Muslims in its laws, relying on loose social customs to regulate relations among the country's religious communities rather than reinforcing equal citizenship abiding by the rule of law.

On Facebook, the "Secularist Movement in Jordan" has set up an event to promote the freedom to fast or not to fast.

The page, which at time of writing had attracted 2,132 "likes", notes there were assaults on people last Ramadan and threats made in the media this year against those who break the fast in public.

Some on the page have expressed their objection to the government ban on public eating, drinking and smoking in Ramadan. Others have defended it, even accusing its detractors of trying to spread immorality.

Jordan is a country with a powerful Islamist base, and a relatively devout Muslim majority. Its constitution states the state religion is Islam. All this, and with radical Islamist groups challenging the Islamic credentials of the region's governments, it is difficult to expect such debates to move into the mainstream.

For now, it looks like non-fasters can do little but hope that the government won't take its own directives too seriously.