Muslim holiday begins tonight at sundown

The Muslim holiday of Ramadan began this morning at sunrise with what an Iowa Muslim says is a lacing of sadness and frustration. Mohammed Fahmy, a prayer leader in the Cedar Falls area, says the events of September 11th and the days that have followed overshadow some of what the month-long holiday is supposed to stand for. He says lots of things happening in the Muslim world aren’t a good characterization of what the Muslim faith is all about. Muslims are fighting one another, they’re being killed, some aren’t even observing their traditions. Fahmy says he’s looking ahead at this holiday with hope.For the next month, Muslims will be fasting from sunrise to sunset which helps them learn self-restraint, discipline and generosity. Fahmy says it’s more than just the physical things that are being given up.Fahmy is a professor of industrial technology at the University of Northern Iowa. There are about 72-thousand Muslims in Iowa. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam — the other four are: declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity and a pilgrimage to Mecca.