Ramadan

Ramadan began on June 6 and ends on July 5.

Ramadan is often one of the bloodiest 30 days of the year. Last year IS spokesman, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani said in an audio message at the start of Ramadan on June 17, “O mujahedeen everywhere, rush and go to make Ramadan a month of disasters for the infidels,” and attacks took place over the course of 48 hours in Tunisia, France, and Kuwait—as well as the Kurds in Kobani, on the Syrian-Turkish border.

This year the same IS spokesman called on Muslims to use this Ramadan to “get prepared, be ready … to make it a month of calamity everywhere for nonbelievers…especially for the fighters and supporters of the caliphate in Europe and America.”

While many Muslims focus on spiritual growth during Ramadan, others do not. In fact, Mohammad set the precedential example when he fought his first battle during Ramadan, the battle of Badr.

So when many Muslims are observing the ritual of Ramadan, consider that Ramadan has not always been a peaceful time.

In the first two days of Ramadan this year, in Turkey 12 people were killed, in Jordan 5 people were killed, and the second day of Ramadan was not over yet. As the sergeant in Hill Street Blues said, “Be careful out there.”