Among the Don’t’s issued by Médecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders for Ramadan are: “Don’t eat (or chew a gum), drink, or smoke in fasting hours.” Also: “Don’t wear revealing or tight clothes.” (Why not? What might happen?)
Médecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders says that it offers “medical aid where it is needed most. Independent. Neutral. Impartial.” Yet clearly when it comes to Muslim observance of Ramadan, it is not independent, neutral, or impartial. It is asking doctors, who are overwhelmingly non-Muslim Europeans, to change their behavior to conform to Islamic sensibilities while in the refugee camps.
The principle is always and everywhere reinforced: in Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Muslim sensibilities. And in non-Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Muslim sensibilities.
“Preparing for Ramadan in the refugee camps,” by Véronique Saunier, Open Democracy, June 3, 2016 (thanks to Paul):
Fasting in a refugee camp is not easy, but by observing Ramadan’s rituals refugees are clawing back an element of their own agency….
Medical staff will also adapt their schedule accordingly. “We will have night shifts”, says Isabelle, a medic for Médecins du Monde. Médecins Sans Frontieres has also issued guidelines to its staff regarding the appropriate behaviour to adopt during the holy month of Ramadan. It stresses being patient as “people who fast for hours under the sun can be edgy”….