As the month of Ramadan begins, the Islamic world is a shambles.

Byline: The Daily Star

Summary: <p>The holy month of Ramadan is now upon us, and Lebanon and the Middle East will undergo a serious transformation. We'll see people fasting during the day and enjoying sumptuous meals after the sun goes down. Considerable amounts of money will be spent on such gatherings. Some of this activity is about family and friends, but there's a lot of conspicuous consumption taking place too.

Editorial

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The holy month of Ramadan is now upon us, and Lebanon and the Middle East will undergo a serious transformation. We'll see people fasting during the day and enjoying sumptuous meals after the sun goes down. Considerable amounts of money will be spent on such gatherings. Some of this activity is about family and friends, but there's a lot of conspicuous consumption taking place too. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent on Ramadan television entertainment alone, in the form of glitzy variety programs and game shows, or comedy and dramatic productions, all competing for the attention of people who have gathered in homes or elsewhere, for some "down time" after hard days of fasting and gathering.

Some people will exercise restraint and engage in acts of piety and charity; others will treat the entire affair as a month-long series of heightened socializing and consumption.

In the end, people will engage in the rituals that suit them the most, all in the name of a cultural or religious rubric that is called Islam.

Meanwhile, the Islamic world whose social and cultural practices are being celebrated so fervently during Ramadan is a shambles. This Ramadan, slaughter is continuing unabated in Iraq; Afghanistan is a mess, mired in war and insurgency despite the presidential election that took place there. Civil conflict and political tension are wracking location after location in the Islamic world, whether it's Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Indonesia or Pakistan, and that's not even mentioning the full-blown crisis in Yemen. In most instances, at least one side involved in the fighting is claiming to act in the name of Islam.

Thus, the same Islam is cited as an inspiration for the following: fasting and piety, extravagance and showing off, and atrocities and terror. Clearly, religion isn't a very reliable or comprehensive guide to explaining this part of the world.

We can keep this in mind as we enter Ramadan, and remember the tremendous challenges from which countries in the Islamic world suffer: the waste and corruption, the underdevelopment, and the lack of job creation.

Many of us have no problem with wholeheartedly engaging in the rituals of Islam, while ignoring the awesome challenges that we face. Some of us claim to care about Islam, while saying nothing or doing nothing to alleviate our difficulties and catastrophes, as if they're unsolvable.

If we label ourselves an Islamic world, and fail to act in a way that betters this civilization, it's an exercise in futility. Some might want to celebrate their religion; very few are willing to work hard to promote a better tomorrow for the Islamic world.

It's not the responsibility of God to sort out our problems, it falls to men and women.

Ramadan Kareem.

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