OFWs told to observe Ramadan prohibitions

MANILA, Philippines - A group warned yesterday overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Middle East countries to strictly observe the “prohibitions” imposed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts tomorrow.

In a statement, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said they recorded the arrest of 20 OFWs in 2009 and 35 more in 2010 for violating Ramadan prohibitions.

“Though, non-Muslims are not obliged to fast… we advise our fellow OFWs to observe the religious and cultural prohibitions by the host governments in regards to the observance of the holy month of Ramadan,” he said.

During Ramadan, Muslims are prohibited from smoking, being loud or violent, greedy, envious, lustful, angry, making sarcastic retorts and gossiping, Monterona said. He added that “obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided too.”

He warned that violators caught by religious and cultural police officers, known as “mutawa,” are punished with up to one year’s imprisonment and being whipped.

Monterona said that at offices and job sites, “non-Muslim expatriate workers are not forced to fast but prudence dictates that we should conduct ourselves in a manner that would not cause disrespect to our Muslim managers, supervisors, employers and to fellow Muslim co-workers during Ramadan.”

He claimed that Filipino domestic workers are also expected by their Muslim employers observe fasting. They are also required to do household chores and other tasks from early in the morning until late at night.

“It’s no surprise that during Ramadan, the number of runaway OFW-domestic helpers goes up. They run away because they can no longer bear the treatment they’re getting from their employers,” Monterona said.

Migrante is urging labor and welfare officials in Middle East to be “pro-active in providing assistance to OFWs during Ramadan.