Since Ramadan is coming up, I'd like to share my story as a Christian, Egyptian male born and raised in Egypt.

During Ramadan, I simply cannot drink water or eat breakfast in public.
Because I might get stared at or even get insulted.

I remember one day, I thought I would dare society and drink water publicly.
I was stopped by an old man.
He had been walking and stopped.
He pointed at me from across the street.
"You're going to hell if you're Muslim and not fasting,” he yelled.
“I hope you burn in hell,” he continued,
“And if you're Christian and doing what you're doing,
then you'll also burn in hell,
and we'll see you rotting in hell from above and say 'We told you so'".

It was enough to start mass hysteria.
Everyone in the street started telling me,
"Don't you have any shame?
Have some remorse and hide the bottle."
I had to double check if I was drinking water or alcohol.

The sad part is that it's so deeply indoctrinated in our culture that when I went home,
I was told off by my sister for what I did.
My own sister
Who, before telling her anything, had just told me that
A beggar had thrown a pebble at her,
Calling her an infidel because her hair was uncovered in Ramadan.

As an outsider, what I see is that Ramadan is about taming your demons, so you can pass the test.
A challenge set by a higher power.
And once you pass it, your sin counter is reset and you're reborn.
All you have to do to pass is to prove your faith is stronger,
bigger, and truer than others.

People say Ramadan is about giving, but from what I've seen
It makes one selfish and competitive
It's been taken out of the context of religion and put into a societal one.
When people refrain from doing bad just not to break their fast.