To NOT understand why a non Muslim would observe Ramadan?

[Crunchymum]

Just that really.

I have a colleague who does every year (husband is Muslim but she is not)

It makes her miserable and she asks me not to eat lunch at my desk I am on reduced hours and only get a short lunch break so bring my own food in and normally eat at my desk

Even if she wasn't so miserable I still don't get it??

Agree with others who say that she can choose to fast whenever she likes, but she can't dictate to you where you eat your lunch.

We have fasting members of staff. They always choose to come and sit in the staffroom with the rest of us at lunch time, and have absolutely no issue with everyone else eating whilst they don't/

If you do self denial for religious reasons it totally defeats the object if you are openly miserable. If I remember correctly there is a specific section in the Old Testament about this.

Same reason non-Christians celebrate Christmas... HTH

To the poster that said strange her husband married her if he observes ramadan, i know at least 6 muslim men married to non muslims who observe ramadan and most of their wives do not, a couple do in solidarity.

Also most are happy to eat around their dh and some dh even cook for them but just wont eat there and then but wait to eat when breaking their fast.

Also in counties like tunisia and egypt you can eat in public during ramadan as children, the elderly, pregnant women and those of any age with health conditions are not expected to fast.

She is bu to ask you not to eat at your desk but yabu to judge her fasting.

I observe a couple of days at the request of my Muslim friend. He asks people if they would like to join in and I do some charity work with him on those days too.

Those my reasons. However your colleague is being very unreasonable in how she is going about it.

I know tons of people who give stuff up for lent and yet have no idea what it's about.

To be clear - while you are eating, is she on her break or working? If working, she can't go elsewhere.

Also to be clear - while you are eating, are you on your break or working? I ask because I have more than one colleague who eat while working, and then go out for a walk/shopping in their lunch break.

to lose weight?

because it makes it easier to do the same as her husband?

curiosity?

to save money?

don't know really. Could be a few reasons.

I'm a non Muslim in a Muslim country & observing Ramadan. 5k down so far .

I wouldn't eat or drink in public here even if I weren't fasting. It would be a dick move, frankly. Non fasters have somewhere to eat & quietly go there. (I'm a teacher).

But I think in the UK the onus should be on her to find a quiet place to go at lunchtime.

Despite being an atheist myself, I can see the solidarity thing as regards her husband. TBH though, I don't think it matters whether she's doing it out of solidarity or because she's an observant Muslim herself - she doesn't get to ask other people to change their behaviours.

I have colleagues who are fasting. Most are not at all bothered about food, but find the drinking bit hard, so I try not to take big bottles of water into meeting rooms with them. Easy enough for me to do for an hour / half hour meeting, but they don't expect it and nor should they.

I suspect from your OP that you're scarfing down a quick sandwich, not having a leisurely spread at your desk in any case, so the onus is very firmly on her to either get a grip and deal with others eating; remove herself from the situation or stop fasting.

erm she doesnt get to tell you were you can eat, she needs to go for a walk if she has an issue with others eating.

My ex is Muslim

I joined him fasting for a few days he was happy that I did

I soon gave up as for me I wasn't trying to achieve anything or to feel anything so the incentive isn't there