Restrictions on non-Muslims during Ramadan 'absurd', says Al-Azhar Imam

CAIRO – 19 April 2022: Al-Azhar Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb labeled restrictions on non-Muslims when they eat or drink while Muslims fast in Ramadan as “absurd.”

In the Tuesday issue of Soat al-Azhar newspaper, which is released by Al-Azhar institution, Tayeb said “Restrictions on the food and drink of non-Muslims during the day in Ramadan on the pretext of fasting is an absurdity that is not befitting or related to Islam in any way whatsoever.”

He also wondered that if a Muslim “could not bear” to see his Christian coworker eat or drink during the day in Ramadan, does he also fail to control himself when he sees his own children eating because they are not of age.

This comes a few days after a restaurant prevented a Christian woman and her daughter from eating inside during the day, asking her to take the food away. The incident has caused an uproar and the restaurant has since been closed down.