A couple points. First, the recent bombings once again underscore that Ramadan doesn’t stop terrorists from attacking people, so why it should stop Americans from defending themselves is a mystery. A point I made a while ago in a column
I am still proud of, if no other reason for using the phrase “clay urn of whup-ass.”
Second, while I have no doubt that Ramadan is in fact an extremely important holiday for all Muslims, I do wish people would stop saying Muslims fast for a straight month. They don’t. They fast during daylight hours which, at this time of year, are getting shorter. In other words, they skip lunch. The symbolism is still valid and admirable — going with hunger for a period every day for a month is a nice and worthwhile reminder. But it just doesn’t seem like a monthlong hunger strike — which is how commentators sometimes describe it.