Muslim countries announced the holy month of Ramadan (2024) with both excitement and serious concern.

 Muslims all across the world are celebrating the start of Ramadzan, (1445 the Islamic year), a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, intense prayer, charity, and feasting that began for many on Sunday night.

However, although they enjoy the customs of their own different groups, from holiday delights to evening diversions, the difficulties encountered by fellow Muslims are never far from their minds. This year, the Gaza Strip's violence and poverty cast an especially sombre shadow over the festivities.

Many people are also struggling to buy food because inflation remains high in many nations and has risen in others.

Nonetheless, even Muslims who are struggling economically or otherwise look forward to what are commonly seen as the primary blessings of the holy month: prayer and thought, fostered by the daylong fast, and time spent with family.