It is Ramadan, it is Christmas

For a holy month, Ramadan is not what it used to be, says Hassan Fattah in the IHT/NYT. "Once an ascetic month of fasting, prayer and reflection on God, Ramadan has gradually taken on the commercial trappings of Christmas and Hanukkah, straight from the hanging lights that festoon windows to the Ramadan greeting cards and Ramadan sales and advertising campaigns that have become the backbone of commerce for the month."

He is reporting from Dubai and it is nice to see that someone is noting the secular social changes in the region as well - it's not all about Islamization, you know. Of course, that is what makes the Islamists upset: the culture is 'westernized' and the 'west' is to blame for everything that isn't like it was. It is a reaction to changes they are not educated to understand. It is that simple - although it is a complex issue!