1.
GV Palestinian refugee camp, Al-Baqa, near Amman, Jordan. (2 SHOTS)
0.09

2.
GV Market with people buying goods including western clothing and modern plastic toys. (6 SHOTS)
0.43

3.
SV People buying vegetables and meat. (2 SHOTS)
1.05

4.
SV ZOOM OUT TO Man making sweets and children buying. (4 SHOTS)
1.25

5.
GV Mosque.
1.33

6.
SV INT Mosque with Moslems praying.
1.52




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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Seven hundred and fifty million Moslems throughout the world have spent the past month fasting in observance of their most holy festival, Ramadan. In the refugee camp of Al-Baqa, just north of the Jordanian capital of Amman, the Palestinians have been celebrating.

SYNOPSIS: There are one hundred and twenty five thousand Palestinian refugees in Jordan.

The majority of them are Moslem and during the month of Ramadan they must fast from sunrise to sunset every day. After sunset hey are allowed to eat and drink as much as they like before readying themselves for another day of abstinence. According to Islamic belief the feast of Ramadan is held to commemorate the meeting between the prophet Mohammed and the angel Gabriel in a cave near Mecca fourteen hundred years ago. It was then that the wisdom of the Koran was told to the prophet. The reason for fasting during the month is to develop spiritually and stress the supremacy of the mind over the body. The month of fasting ends with the three-day festival of Al-Fitr.

During Ramadan, special sweets are made for the children in the camp. These are called "Katayef" and often are eaten with a special Ramadan drink known as "Sous".

This year's feast is the first Ramadan in the new Islamic fifteenth century. The feast will end on either Monday (11 August) or Tuesday (12 August) depending on the appearance of the new moon to signal the beginning of the three day Al-Fitr festival.