Ramadan seems like a good idea to me

Last night I went to an Iftar at the Leeds Grand Mosque in Hyde Park. Its not the first time I have been to one of these breaking of the fast events but it seemed unusually moving for some reason. In atomised times the sence of fellowship and brotherhood amongst attendees was impressive. The main thing though is just what a sensible idea Ramadan is. A month where you spend less, give more to charity, try to behave better, study your traditions, spend more time with family and examine your relationship with food and drink. I'm probably sounding like the Daily Mail but when you compare it to the mass consumption of Christmas or selling Hallowe'en tat in the first week in September it makes you think. We always think of "Intergration" as a process where "Incommers" assimilate to British Culture and the "Host" takes on little of the other than made up dishes like Chicken Tikka Massala.

Of course many of the accents in the Mosque were broader Yorkshire than mine ever will be and which aspects of British culture do we want Muslims to adopt? Binge Drinking? The highest heroin adiction rate in Europe? One third of the continents unsecured personal debt?

I was quizical about the seperation of Men and Women ( although Christianity has hardly got that one cracked) but generally came across an open, tolerant community that is growing in the area and becomming more assertive in public affairs. It'll be a good thing if they do as we need the political capital replacing that is drained away by multi occupancy Housing.

I suspect it was one of those events that I will mull over for a while.