Tackling Ramadan

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan will soon cast its long shadow over the "War on Terror." Ramadan, which begins Nov. 16 (depending where you live), is a month when Muslims believe the Holy Quran was sent down from Heaven" During that time, Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex from sunrise to sunset and are supposed to be charitable toward others.\nMany analysts worry that if we continue military operations in Afghanistan during Ramadan, we'll risk offending Muslims worldwide. The pressing question now becomes, should President George W. Bush continue the military campaign during this holy month?\nIt seems as though history, and even Muhammad himself, can answer that question for us. In 624 A.D., Muhammad waged war on tribes outside Mecca. Iraqis and Iranians killed each other during Ramadan for eight straight years. Anwar Sadat of Egypt, along with Syria (both being Muslim countries), launched the 1973 Yom Kippur war on Israel during Ramadan, with little respect to their own religion and even less for Israel's, as Yom Kippur is a holy day of atonement for the Jewish faith.\nClearly, Ramadan isn't always a peaceful holiday, and continuing the military operation should not be viewed as an attack on Islam. But you can be sure that Islamic fundamentalists will portray it that way in hopes of uniting Muslims under one banner against the West.\nUniversity of Richmond law professor Azizah al-Hibri, who has met with President Bush, told USA Today, "We need to keep in mind the sensitivities of the Muslim world. If (Bush) fights during Ramadan, that will give (Osama) bin Laden one more tool to argue to the Muslim world that the United States is disrespectful of their religion."\nStill, most Western Muslims understand the importance of continuing the operations, and have been outspoken in explaining strikes during Ramadan wouldn't disrespect Islam.\nProfessor Ahmet Karamustafa, an expert on pre-modern Islamic history at Washington University in St. Louis, said, "Broadly speaking, while it's ideal to cease hostilities during Ramadan, historically it's not a problem in Islam."\nProfessor Ali Hamed of the Muslim College in London, said, "Ramadan is a holy month and Muslims are required to be more devotional but there is nothing to stop them fighting at this time."\nBut how will the president keep other Muslims abroad from becoming angry? Secretary of State Colin Powell may be on the right track with this delicate task by coupling compassion for peaceful Muslims with a firm resolution to keep moving forward.\nNo matter how President Bush chooses to argue America's case abroad, he has a moral and practical obligation to continue. As Todd Linberg of Policy Review points out, stopping for Ramadan would send exactly the wrong message to the Islamic world.\nLinberg writes, "This is a war on terrorism, not on Islam. The targets are the terror networks and their supporters, and they need to be attacked whenever they present themselves. To refrain from doing so during Ramadan would, in effect, Islamicize the conflict, granting terrorists special treatment solely out of deference to their professed Islamic faith. This would only legitimize their claim to be speaking for Islam."\nLet's not allow bin Laden and other terrorists define the rules of engagement, or speak on behalf of Islam. We would only be catering to their demands, and let it turn into a holy war between Muslims and West. With or without Ramadan, Operation Enduring Freedom must endure.