8 common reactions to Ramadan fasting by our non-Muslim friends

From supportive and inquisitive to insensitive and even ninja, living in a multi-racial country brings out memorable moments from our friends of all faiths. Shea Rasol shares one cool video interpretation.

No matter where we live in the world, we all have non-Muslim neighbors. So when a celebration comes round for a particular race or religion, it adds a touching element when people of all faiths welcome it with respect.

From the sunny shores of Singapore comes this cute and quirky video depicting typical reactions that non-Muslims have towards their fasting friends. The non-Muslims in this video are ethnic Chinese, however, the reactions apply to anyone in any corner of the earth.

Though reactions such as being insensitive, forgetful, “ninja” and apologetic may happen in real life in all parts of the world, we Muslims have no problem with such reactions from our non-Muslim buddies. We know that fasting is not their battle. Plus, talking about it can teach others more about our faith while helping us to remain happy and content throughout our fasting days.

To summarise, these were the eight reactions shown in the video: forgetful, inquisitive, ninja, supportive, kay kiang (act smart), apologetic, insensitive and “I got your back”. Which one(s) do you most often encounter in the country you’re fasting in this Ramadan?

Actors in the video are speaking Singlish, a local version of English that uses vocabulary and grammar from the city-state’s various languages and Chinese dialects. Visit UMeAndHara on YouTube for more of their vids.