Eid Ul Mubarak!

Muslims have come to the end of a 30-day religious exercise. It has been a period of spiritual enhancement for the faithful.

Muslims endured the challenges of abstinence from food and bodily pleasures as demanded by the canons of the exercise.

Society would benefit immensely if the discipline which Muslims went through during the period is maintained outside the Ramadan month.

The two great religions, Islam and Christianity, are hinged upon discipline. The dos and don'ts which the faithful are expected to adhere to are about discipline, and the faithful who deviate from these and do the contrary are responsible for our woes as a people.

It is amazing that those who went through Ramadan would, no sooner than they are done with the sacrifice, return to their old bad ways.

Let us continue to abide by the tenets of our religions. Besides the spiritual benefits therein, we would be helping society to develop if most of us or all of us do so.

Society is degenerating because those entrusted with the task of managing the affairs of the country do not abide by the tenets of their faiths.

When such persons avoid cheating, render service to humanity and show honesty in the discharge of their duties, the country would be spared the many problems it is enmeshed in today.

This is part of the spirit of the Ramadan fasting which Muslims have just finished.

How many people who fasted were able to support the needy, given their better positions? It is our prayer that this spirit of supporting the needy would remain the cornerstone of our post-Ramadan lives. This way society would be the winner.

The spirit of giving and supporting the needy is so important that it has a place in both two great religions. This is enough to convince all about its relevance to mankind.

The abstinence from food enables us to understand what hunger is and for us to appreciate the challenges faced by the destitute and the wretched of the earth who have no means of fending for themselves.

Those of us whose circumstances are better than such persons should remember to stretch the hands of assistance to them so that we would be blessed.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims were enjoined to steer away from backbiting, lies and other social aberrations—conducts which have led to bad blood in communities and created avoidable tension.

When we continue to avoid these in our everyday dealings with each other, society would be better off; and what better way to do so than continue what we did during the fasting period.

Let our Muslim youth who have been the targets of stereotypical references maintain the discipline which they exhibited during Ramadan so that the negative impression they have created for themselves would give way to that of deference.

Unfortunately, today these young boys and girls would be engaged in all manner of negative traits which go a long way to rob them of the blessings of Ramadan.

To our esteemed readers belonging to the Islamic faith, we say Eid el Mubarak and may God extend our lives to witness many more Ramadan fasts.