Letters to the EditorNew York TimesDear Editor, Correspondent Isan[bel Kershner is mystified “why Ramadan has been a time of heightened tension and emotions…”Permit me to quote from Berean Call about the origins of Ramadan and why Muhammad decided that it was a good time to attack his enemies. “Ramadan is not, in fact, an Islamic holy month. Not only is it not “holy,” but it did not originate with Muhammad and Islam. Pagan Arabs had observed it for centuries before Muhammad was born. Arab tribes had traditionally refrained from fighting one another at that time”. So, why did this change?Muhammad received a “revelation” from Allah that Muslims could fight during Ramadan (Surah 2:217). His first military success followed. The caravan he attacked was caught by surprise during the agreed-upon “time of peace.” Perhaps this history is forgotten, but fighting one’s enemies during Ramadan has become a tradition.”Sincerely yours, Larry Shapiro
