A Blackburn non-Muslim man is fasting the holy month of Ramadan to raise funds for charities and show solidarity with Muslims who are observing the fasting month.
“I have not done much preparation but I have taken part a daily fast in the past. I am told it is not as long as the summer months but we shall see how it goes,” Phil Heyworth, 35, told Lancashire Telegraph.
Phil added, “I don’t think the food will be an issue but more the lack of water. As well as raise money for charity it brings me closer to my Muslim colleagues.”
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The idea of fasting Ramadan came up when Phil, an engineer, was sitting with friends at a restaurant.
“It was really just something we came up over dinner when we were discussing Ramadan with my Muslim friends. So, I thought why not and I can raise money for charity too.
“The manager of the Kebabish restaurant overheard the challenge and even offered to feed me for the month for free!”
The dad-of-two said his family had been really supportive: “They have been really good and are backing me all the way.”
Setting two JustGiving appeals, Phil hopes to raise money for the Pendleside Hospice and the Turkey and Syria Earthquake appeals.
“Pendleside Hospice looks after our friends, family and people in our community every year, with only a small percentage of its funding coming from the government,” Phil said.
“Pendleside relies heavily on local support to make sure the great work they do continues. I set a target for £500 and am hoping to achieve it with the support of people from across communities.”
Phil with friends Sharafat and Yasir enjoying a Chai before Ramadan
Fasting Non-Muslims
There are other incidents where many non-Muslims have shown a strong passion for the month of Ramadan, joining Muslims in observing the month of fasting.
In 2021, a non-Muslim police officer from South Manchester observed fasting for the entire month of Ramadan to support his Muslim colleague.
Earlier in 2019, a non-Muslim teacher in Lancashire fasted for the entire month of Ramadan to show support to her Muslim students who were taking their GCSE’s.
In Dubai, Indian non-Muslim woman Sarbani Ghoshal was reported in 2018 to have observed every Ramadan, saying she was blessed with miracles during the holy month.
There is also a case of Nick Watson, a long-term British expatriate in the Emirates, having lived there for 20 years, and did not miss a single Ramadan.