The mayor of London delivers an intimate testimony to his Ramadan fasting

Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, confided with a franchise on his Ramadan experience in the podcast “Not Even Water: Ramadan Aarthed” from the BBC. “I am really grumpy during this period”he admits, particularly pointing his addiction to caffeine as the main challenge.

This year, the London elected official innovated in his preparation. “For the first time, I started a preliminary detox by reducing my coffee consumption”he explains. An initiative that follows its New Year resolutions, Ramadan started on March 1 to end on March 30.

The mayor of London sees in this month of fasting an opportunity to “reset”, comparing this period to the preparation internship for a football team. “The quality of your year depends on how you live your Ramadan,” he said. With a touch of humor, he recognizes the difficulty of managing his mood during fasting: “It is important to remember that you can become more likely when you are hungry.”

This unusual confession of a politician on his religious practice offers a personal look at the Ramadan experience, during which Muslims refrain from drinking and eating from sunrise to sunset. This speaking reflects the evolution of Muslim public figures who now openly share their experience of Ramadan. An approach that helps to demystify the practice of Islam in the West and promotes intercultural dialogue, particularly relevant in a metropolis as diverse as London.