I’m aware that it’s illegal in some Muslim countries to eat and drink during Ramadan. As a non-Muslim tourist in Iran, I have no problem showing my respect by not eating and drinking during this time. However, I was wondering if it is something which is actually enforced by law in Iran?
Thanks
hi.
yes it is enforced by law in iran. although almost no one would dare to eat and drink openly in public during Ramazan , some do by having snacks or small sandwiches where there are no prying eyes, in their workplace or at their homes of course! You said you are a foreigners and hence i doubt the authorities would care much about your eating during the said time. If you are caught or was questions by The Police, just tell him you are a tourist and not a Muslim. and I have also heard that hotels can and do serve food to their non-Muslim guests in that month. So dont worry. you will not starve as grocery shops are open. Restaurants and and pizza parlors are however (forced to) to close their doors until just about one hour before the sunset. bye.
I travelled twice during Ramazan, and I didn't find it too hard to cope with. The hardest part may be not to drink, as for the few next years Ramazan will be in the hottest months. Even though tourists are not forced to fast, you would probably feel uncomfortable to drink or eat in front of anyone. Good thing to know, buses and savaris stop at noon at road restaurants and most travellers enjoy a meal. Hotel restaurants are indeed opened at noon, especially in big hotels. As Amir said, grocery shops are everywhere so it's very easy to buy fruits, chips or whatever, you just have to go back to your hotel room to eat... All transports, shops, sites are opened as usual, but trying to get a taxi just before sunset can be very difficult!
As for police control, I wouldn't be too paranoid: I didn't know that Ramazan had just started, and when I exited the bazar in Damghan, on a crowded street I lit a cigarette, I passed by a policeman who looked at me but said nothing. The owner of a grocery shop, a very friendly and warm guy, waved at me to tell me that maybe I shouldn't smoke on the street and invited me to finish my cigarette in the back of his store! I guess the policeman had idetified me as a foreigner since I had been roaming all around this small town for the last three days.
Ramazan is actually an interesting time to visit Iran. I was surprised to see that many people are actually "cheating": if you go in parks you will see a lot of people hiding behind their newspapers chewing sandwiches; even in bazars you can spot people sipping tea in their shops as long as they are not on the main streets...
I think the posts above are quite right. I travelled in Iran during last Ramadan and though I lost some kilos because I could not be bothered to wake up before dawn I did not face any problems. Drinking water in public is not frowned upon really if you keep it discreet, but I definately did not want to eat in public, not out of fear but out of respect - if I got too hungry and could not wait till dusk I would always keep something in my rucksack at my room and snack on it. I was actually invited to stay at a house in Yazd by a family I met on the train and they were very happily broke Ramadan several times by preparing laborious lunches for me in which they participated with no hesitation whatsoever - it was my only chance to have real fesentzun actually. And thindkue is right about it being an interesting time too, Although you will miss out in the wonderful midday mellon juice as well as the afterlunch tea and hooka sipping, you shall be repaid by the cordial and comradely attitude of people on the street after dusk: be prepared to get stuffed by strangers with delicacies and the ever-present dates.
It's not problem if your not a Muslim. HOWEVER I would suggest that show a degree of discretion, i.e. don't go walking down the main street chomping on a huge sandwich at lunchtime. Ramadam, even to devout Muslims, can be a rather onerous time, especially as the weeks go by, so don't go flaunting your daytime gastronomics in public!