Fasting during Ramadan encourages people to think more about those who go without food because they have no choice. (Source: Edu.glogster.com)
I am very pleased to write to you today to inform you that I have finally progressed past my Ramadan 'dry patch'.
Stuck on six days of fasting for around a week-and-a-half, I managed to complete my seventh day of fasting yesterday (Sunday). Man, it feels good ... and already I feel a bit of weight off my shoulders!
Now, I sit half-way along the road to my projected goal of 14 days, meaning there is still quite a way to go.
However, as I have previously stated, the truth is this Ramadan experience is not all about myself and how I am coping with fasting. From the very beginning, I wanted to use this opportunity to discover more about this tradition from my anglo-Australian perspective, and to, hopefully, provide my followers back home with a greater understanding of everything compared to what they receive from the usual mainstream media.
With that said, I would like to iterate a strong point of Ramadan; one which I have failed to do thus far in my journey.
Many of you already know the key reasons behind Ramadan and fasting. For example, these reasons include demonstrating submission to God, and to cleanse one's soul of 'sins' they have previously committed.
Increasing the social awareness of people, however, is one fact which I have not yet made reference to. Straight to the point, fasting is supposed to raise citizens' awareness to the struggles of the poor. More particularly, the burning desire for food and water which a 'faster' experiences during the month of Ramadan is shown to be nothing compared to the daily - and often life-long - experiences of the poverty-stricken.
Personally, and speaking in a general sense, I believe that there needs to be more knowledge and care towards the socially-disadvantaged; so, regarding this aspect of Ramadan, and Islam in general, I believe it can only be a good thing.
Certainly, when my stomach began grumbling yesterday afternoon during my fast, my thoughts almost immediately turned to those who experience this terrible feeling on a daily basis, and to a far worse degree.
I don't mean to make a pun, but that is some food-for-thought for not only myself, but, perhaps, for all of you.
Celik players celebrate with supporters following their impressive 2-0 victory over Velez Mostar. (Source: ZenicaBlog.com / Jasmin Hadzic)
Yesterday, for the first time in almost five months, I had the fantastic opportunity to get along to a football match of my local team.
Coming off a brave draw away to Sarajevo last weekend, Celik Zenica played host to Velez Mostar at Zenica's Kamberovica Polje stadium. Celik's usual home ground, Bilino Polje, was out of action due to current relaying of the turf.
The local Zenica side backed-up their good result in Sarajevo with a determined 2-0 victory over Velez; and I had a blast.
Here is a little review of the day:
Under the wing of my partner's brother for the afternoon, we met up with a number of his friends an hour or two before the match.
As kick-off approached, the atmosphere around the city began to rise. It reached fever-pitch when 200 or so chanting Celik lads - Robijasi - marched down the street next to us. At this time, around 45 minutes prior to kick-off, we followed them towards the stadium
Robijasi Zenica on their way to the stadium for the match against Velez.
Once we arrived outside the stadium, I was somewhat surprised to see no-one from Robijasi had entered inside. There must have been around 350 guys standing outside and, put simply, they didn't look like they were going to enter at all.
Soon, I took a guess and assumed that this was some form of protest. Most likely, I gathered, it was for the sudden jump in ticket prices for this once-off match at Kamberovica Polje; although the usual entry fee for Celik matches is 2 KM, the price of a ticket for this fixture, for unexplained reasons, jumped to 6 KM.
It is interesting to note how actions on - or outside - football stadiums often mirror that of issues in wider society. Locals commonly complain, for example, of their government(s) and being ripped-off without reason or excuse.
With players from both sides warming-up on the pitch immediately prior to the match, the hundreds of Robijasi present begun to make their voice heard, and their opinions known.
Loud chants of, "Sack the board" echoed around the perimeter of the stadium, while the fans outside called their own players over to the fence, with some asking them not to play the match out of respect.
Finally, some common-sense prevailed, and the gates were opened up for the supporters . . . free-of-charge. Awesome!
So, with the match about to begin, hundreds of us hurriedly made our way through the standard security checks and positioned ourselves to one side of the grandstand.
For the next hour-and-a-half, I jumped and chanted my voice hoarse like I haven't done in years. Really. I was slightly afraid I would suffer a heart attack from the amount of exercise and effort I was putting in! (Yeah, I should probably ease up on those bureks and what-not..)
Although I didn't have the best position to view them with my own eyes, there seemed to be around 50 or more Velez fans who made the journey from Mostar. Somewhat peculiarly, however, they were escorted out of the stadium - and the city - with around 20 minutes remaining in the match - as a precautionary measure to avoid fan trouble, perhaps.
Celik players applaud their supporters following their 2-0 win over Velez Mostar. (Source: ZenicaBlog / Jasmin Hadzic)
Nonetheless, they didn't miss out on much. Celik maintained their 2-0 lead over Velez to extend their unbeaten run to two matches, momentarily placing them at the top of the league's table. The happiness on the faces of both players and fans alike was obvious yesterday; four points from these first two matches is a very positive start to the season.
I am already looking ahead to the next fixture which I can make in a fortnight. To be honest, I really can't wait. I had such a great time yesterday (winning helps, though, of course).
It is amazing. I love football whether it's at Melbourne's 'Etihad Stadium' in front of tens of thousands, or in the parks of Zenica in front of one or two thousand. It is my love and my addiction, and I can't get enough of it.
A number of Muslim women enjoy Iftar (dinner) together during Ramadan. (Source: BlogBuzzInTown.com)
Zdravo svima; Hello everyone.
As I haven't updated my Ramadan activities for a number of days, some of you are probably wondering my current Ramadan 'status', if you will.
So, this post is to very quickly update you on my lack of progress, again, this week.
Unfortunately, my headache and sore throat have persisted for a number of days, which meant that fasting was probably not the best idea anyway. Furthermore, as I stated in my previous post this morning, I was together in Sarajevo with a Melburnian friend of mine from Monday until yesterday.
As you may have noted from my last Ramadan entry prior to this one, the Quran outlines that those who are 'journeying' (read: travelling) are not expected to fast on those days. Therefore, I have a little bit more support on my side for not fasting whilst in Sarajevo.
Anyway, rather than harping on the negatives, I'm looking towards the future once again. I have ear-marked Sunday for my return to fasting. Regardless of my setbacks, reaching that fourteen-day milestone remains my primary goal, and I will not settle for anything less.
Also looking to the future - and stepping away from Ramadan for a moment - I shall be bringing you a number of new topics to this blog. Over the next couple of days, subjects will cover a broad area; from Australian tourists in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to the Islamic celebration of 'Bajram', as well as to plenty of other discussion areas.
I look forward to discussing these topics with you and, please, do not hesitate to provide your own opinion to any of the points raised.
I greatly value free speech, and it's always eye-opening to hear differing perspectives from people from all corners of the globe.
Enjoy and, if you won't be around to read my pieces, I hope you enjoy your weekend!
As you all should know by now, whether you read about me on the news or you are simply one of my friends, Zenica is the city which I currently call my 'home'.
Although most Bosnians would have some idea about the city, the same could not be said about the majority of my Australian readers.
So, I thought now is the perfect opportunity to inform my Aussie brethren a little about this small city nestled away in the mountains. Bosnians; feel free to correct me on any mistakes you think I made. Enjoy :)
Zenica in winter. (Source: ZenicaBlog)
O.K, where do we start?
Zenica is Bosnia and Herzegovina's fourth largest city, and is located just over an hour's drive from the nation's capital, Sarajevo. The Federal Office of Statistics estimates that the municipality's population is more than 127,000, with more than 85% of these inhabitants being Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims, for those who don't know).
Okay, there's the statistics for you, now for the real stuff ...
How do I pronounce it?
The pronunciation of Zenica has caused a lot of grief for many Aussies that I know, and this includes myself initially. Although many of you probably think the city is pronounced "Zen-i-cha", this is not the case. Rather, the correct pronunciation is "Zen-i-tsa". Pretty simple stuff once you learn it.
I hope that some of you will say it correctly the next time we talk!
What is the city famous for?
Undoubtedly, Zenica is most notably known for its massive industrial factories which produce steel. Therefore, to many people in this area of Europe, Zenica is known as 'Steel City'.
Zenica is well known for its steel production. (Source: Seedw.org)
In fact, some of the sporting clubs in the city are named "Celik", which is the Bosnian word for 'steel'. (I'll go into more detail about the local football club a bit further down the page.)
However, having these large factories located right near the city does come at a price. Air pollution is rife, with sulphur dioxide (this aggravates asthma and sometimes causes bronchitis) levels sometimes reaching more than three times the European Union limit. Local residents are consistently demanding filters to be implemented in the plants so as to clear up the air; but it seems like not a whole lot is happening on that front.
How does the city go for sport?
Thankfully, as I am a Melburnian - the city which is said to be the world's sporting capital (though probably it's just us Melburnians who claim that) - Zenica is a city rich with sport; particularly when it comes to football.
Firstly, the Bosnia-Herzegovina national football team plays the majority of their matches at Bilino Polje - Zenica's largest football stadium with a capacity of more than 15,000.
Another side which calls Bilino Polje home is the local football club, Celik Zenica, which is, arguably, the pride of the city.
Celik, which is a 3-time national champion of Bosnia-Herzegovina, currently compete in the 'Premijer Liga', the highest football division in the country.
It has to be said that Zenica really bleeds for this football team. The club has one of the highest fan-bases in the nation; and the city itself is covered with wall murals dedicated to the club. 'Robijasi', which in English translates to 'convicts', is the name of the club's supporter group.
October, 2011: Myself and a local posing in front of one of the city's many murals devoted to the local football side.
The weirdest aspect to Zenica?
Ok, I have to be honest and say that there are a lot of strange things that I regularly witness in Zenica. While most of these have been normalised due to the frequency in which I see them, there remains one particular aspect which I still can't quite get my head around; the amount of stray dogs in this city.
I've mentioned this subject in a previous entry or two, but I must re-iterate the point: the amount of wild dogs in this city is crazy! Even after I first saw them last October, their sheer amount of numbers remains amazing to me. It really is out of control now, and although many residents have called for government action, once again, little seems to be happening.
Although I consider myself an animal lover - particularly when it comes to dogs - these canines are very unpredictable, and many of them can turn violent on you in a split second. Lately, it has been common to see them hunt in packs of ten or more. Many parents seem fearful to take their children outside late at night, when the dogs tend to become more vicious.
Once, several months ago, I went 'toe-to-toe' (or is that 'toe-to-paw'?) with a particular dog at the bottom of our building. There were no 'blows' exchanged, but an umbrella came in handy to scare the little bugger off. (I had to include this last anecdote in case my girlfriend or her mother read this. They were both present here, and they both seemed to find my 'fear' very amusing. Pff!)
Meanwhile ... the best aspect(s)?
For me, it has to be the people. True, you may meet some 'bad eggs' from time to time, but that is the case with any large society which you interact with. For the most part, the people I have met have been extremely welcoming and friendly. Despite the fact you are a stranger and completely unknown to them, people will open their doors and their arms to you to make you feel welcome.
When you arrive in a world that is almost completely alien to you, it makes settling in just that little bit easier.
Also a nice - and recent - addition to the city is the Zenica Shopping Centar, a very modern shopping complex which contains a variety of cafes and retail outlets, amongst other things.
Zenica Shopping Centar. (Source: ZenicaBlog)
Where can one stay if they wish to visit Zenica?
Hotel Dubrovnik in Zenica. (Source: Zenica-Gorica.blogspot.com)
Undoubtedly, the three best options for accomodation in Zenica are Hotel Dubrovnik, Hotel Zenica and Hotel Internacional. Hotels Dubrovnik and Zenica are more recent and modern buildings, and therefore rather expensive, though if you have a tight budget, you can snare a room at Hotel Internacional for around 30 Euros (or less, depending on your bargaining skills).
A final note?
Yes, yes, I have one.
Here is a song, which, in fact, I discovered from an Australian friend of mine.
The song, titled 'Zenica Blues', is from the ex-Yugoslav rock band 'Zabranjeno Pusenje' (in English that means 'Smoking Forbidden') - though they originated from Sarajevo rather than Zenica.
Nonetheless, a great song that I am a rather big fan of (even if I don't really know the words!).
I will leave you on this note.
Ciao people, and I hope that now you know just that little bit more about this sometimes-forgotten Bosnian city! Pozdravi iz Zenice!
July, 2012: Muslims turn out in their thousands for the 'Tharawih prayer' at the 'Prophet's Mosque' in Medina, Saudi Arabia. (Source: CaptureTheSpiritOfRamadan.org)
It is with great sadness that I inform you today that I remain stranded on a measly six days of completed fasting this Ramadan.
"But Rusty, what happened? The other day you sounded so motivated to press on..."
Okay, maybe I jumped the gun a bit with the 'great sadness' stuff. Truth is, I haven't just been laying on my arse, eating and drinking, and completely disregarding fasting.
Yesterday, although I was extremely determined to add another day to my 'belt' - for want of a better term - my body simply had other ideas.
I didn't want to give up so easily, though. At the risk of mistaking myself as some heroic soldier of war, for several hours I pushed on through severe headaches, a sore throat, and ever-increasing dehydration.
By the time 3pm came around - with more than five hours still remaining - it was all just too much. I was sweating and desperately needed some water. So I broke my fast.
So, to those who are not-so-informed about Islam (that includes me!), you're probably wondering; did I commit a sin by not completing the fast?
The simple answer is: No!
Thankfully, these days when I 'fail' to fast still gives me an opportunity to learn certain aspects of this religion, and to pass these answers on to others who also do not know.
As I probably assumed once upon a time, Islam does not stipulate that you must simply fast regardless of your health status; and that those who don't fast are bad people. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
As outlined in the Quran:
"...and whoever is ill or journeying, for him is the like number of other days. Allah desires for you ease and does not desire for you hardship; so you should complete the number and magnify Allah for His having guided you, that perhaps you may give thanks." [Noble Quran 2:185]
Reverting to Layman's terms, this means that anyone who is sick or ill - in any way - is not expected to fast. However, once that person's health has improved, they are expected to make up for the 'lost' days by fasting following the conclusion of Ramadan. The same rule applies for anyone who is travelling somewhere during this month.
So, what does that mean for me? It means that I should not have even been attempting to fast yesterday if I was feeling unwell! (For the record, I am still unwell, so am not fasting today, either.)
Though, at least the excuse of being sick holds up a bit better than the 'lazy' excuse .. so I don't feel so down about it.
I am still determined to reach my goal of 14 days of fasting, even if that means I have to complete some of those days after Ramadan has finished.
Anyway, hope you are well, wherever in the world you are reading this from :)
