Through my eyes

Ramadanis the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and in 2016, it begins in theevening of June 5and ends in the evening of July 5. This is the month in which the Quran was revealed, when Archangel Gabriel (Jibreel in Arabic) appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and began revealing the verses of the Quran and continued to do so for 23 years. During this period of time,fasting is very important, and constitutes one of the five pillars of Islam (which include declaring there is no god except God, praying five times a day, giving to the poor and needy, and pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime).

Fasting in Ramadan is not only abstaining from food but alsofrom evil actions, thoughtsand words. Ramadan is also a time for spiritual reflection and devotion to worship and prayers to Allah.

I so wish I could fast for a month, especially in winter when I am so prone to putting on a few kilos, which are so difficult to lose. So often I can see myself doing Ramadan in solidarity with my Muslim buddies but I do not have the strength to carry it through.

I was chatting to one friend, paying my respects to his strong will, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "When the time of Ramadan comes I do not think about food until five. It just happens like that." All the Muslim friends I have are respectful and kind, this is why I was blown away with the "warning" circulating social media recently.

Last Tuesday a friend sent me a Whatsapp, a warning from the US diplomatic mission to South Africa, which stated that it investigates information ofplanned terror attacks on American citizens living in South Africa. Spokesperson Cynthia Harvey said that this warning included upscale shopping areas and malls.

Some of my local malls were on the hit list and she was asking my advice whether it was real or indeed a hoax.

Immediately I responded, "Please! A terror attack? In Durban?" The very idea may seem absurd. South Africa has plenty of problems, but so far at least, violent Islamist extremism has not been among them.

The US diplomatic mission to South Africa saysit's cooperating with local authoritiesas it investigates information ofplanned terror attacks on American citizens living in South Africa.

For me the whole business of scaring the public is so uncalled for. South Africa is so far from the extremists who are playing havoc with the rest of the world. What threat are we to ISIS?

I reached for my smart phone and googled the threat. It proved to be correct. Indeed there was a threatsecond threat of its kind; the other one was issued in 2015.

It is hard to believe that our little paradise, Durban, is under terror threat. We always kind of hoped it would remain on far away shores. While deep down inside I do not believe in the threat of terror attack, I guess we all have to be vigilant and mindful of the dangers lurking in the depths of the Black Hole, none of us can turn a blind eye.

May this festivity push peace to transcend the earth, let light brighten up the world and grow hope in everyone's heart.