Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is a very blessed and revered month for Muslims all over the world. The word sawm, or fasting, is one of the five major pillars of Islam.
Fasting is not just abstaining from eating and drinking from dusk to dawn. It teaches a person the principles of compassion and encourages patience and selflessness, as through fasting, we feel the pains of deprivation, but endure them patiently. It creates in a person the real spirit of social belonging, unity, and brotherhood, of equality before God, as well as before the law. Fasting has benefits like detoxifying and overhauling the body. It also provides a person with a transparent soul and a clear mind.
I would like to wish all Canadians of Muslim faith Ramadan Kareem and Ramadan Mubarak, and in this blessed month, please make a special prayer for all of our brothers and sisters in Fort McMurray.