Second and Third Thoughts

A Muslim friend called within minutes of my last posting in which I declared I would not end my Ramadan fast as a gesture of solidarity with Palestine. He began the conversation by asking, "Are you the Prophet? Have you assumed the mantle of prophethood? I beg of you to break the fast and celebrate Eid today. You can resume your fast tomorrow." I asked, slightly inflamed, if he was reading me the Riot Act in terms of the shariy'at of Islam. He answered, "You know I am not some rigid-minded member of the Taliban seeking to impose the shariy'at on you. But as a Muslim I believe God decreed the Ramadan fast and decreed the breaking of it. If you seek to continue Ramadan on this day set aside to end the fast, then you are putting yourself above Allah."

I calmed down, and thanked him for his concern. I said I would think about his request.

I have decided to partake of the Eid and resume my fast tomorrow as a private, non-aligned act rather than one hijacked from Islam. I have decided to do so because I think my friend meant that resumption of normal life is an affirmation that we must make in the face of institutionalized inhumanity. I affirm normalcy today as a prophecy that is kept here and will some day be kept in Palestine (and Darfur, Iraq, etc.). I partake of normal life to cleanse my good intentions of a dominant half-empty strain of thought which has ruled me my whole life. I break, rather than brake, bread with my community as a gesture of defiant, triumphant fullness. I celebrate Eid as a ritualized dispensation of God's wealth (his truest will) to all in a blessed diffusion of giving. Eid is a celebration of God's grace--a heightened resumption of normal life consecrated by a month of focus on Him.

I will call my resumed vigil-fast Operation Ramadan so as not to offend Muslims who think my continuation of the fast is arrogance--no matter how well-intended. I write this because I asked you to join me in prolongation of the Ramadan fast and it is wrong for me to rescind it for myself and not you. I love you all. Join me in any way you can tomorrow for the beginning of Operation Ramadan. Or, better yet, call it Operation True Yom Kippur. Give up a part of normal plentitude so that you can give your attention to those who suffer needlessly and endlessly. But celebrate with me today the first of many eids to be.

And now as I sign off, I tell you what another friend just said who called just as I was putting the finishing touches on this email. "You can do whatever you want since you are a serving your conscience and the conscience is a servant of God. I give you permission to continue the fast." And there you have your daily dose of Zen.