A Palestinian judge has banned divorces during the month of Ramadan as people may make hasty decisions “because they have not eaten and not smoked”.
Mahmoud al-Habbash, head of the Palestinian Islamic sharia court system, said people who deprive themselves of food and cigarettes during daylight hours may “create problems” in their relationship and then make “quick and ill-considered decisions”.
To avoid such decisions, judges will only consider and rule on divorce applications made after the month of fasting is over, Al Jazeera reports.
In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, but also in Israel and Lebanon, only religious courts have the power to allow marriages and divorces.
Millions of Muslims across the globe are fasting for Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam.
During the month, many Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset, forgoing food and water, smoking and sex during daylight.
The end of Ramadan will be marked by the Eid al-Fitr festival, a celebration that can last up to three days each year. »