Well I reckon I set myself up to fail there by making my achievements relative to the creation of a universe. I barely created an edible concoction in six days let alone watered a plant. However, in the same way that God rested thereafter, so did I. Being a woman and all I am not able to fulfill my fasting obligations for 30 consecutive days without the inevitable hiatus.
The reason why women cannot fast during their periods, other than the obvious pain some of us endure, is that they are more at risk of compromising their health. It is safe to say that for a couple of days a woman's immune system is on red alert. No pun intended. Some women of course wish to turn this caveat into an anthropological minefield whereby this ruling is nothing more than another means by which a misogynistic religion is able to claim that men have the upper hand. To them I say go solve your daddy complex at home and stop prying on Papa New Guinean men. And arguments like that are rather worthless given that you resume the fast after your cycle and you make up for the lost days after Ramadan anyway. So nothing lost nothing gained. Except your health.
Fasting is one of the main pillars (there are 5) of Islam. However, this does not mean that everyone is cut out for it. The first time I fasted I was 6 years old. Everyone around me was fasting and so I wanted to fast as well. Did I know what it was about? No. Did I care? No. I just wanted to belong. Similarly with praying. Of course my parents explained it to me. Of course I pretended to understand for fear of sounding like the 6 year old I was. And of course I had no idea what was being said whenever my mother bowed down her head to the ground. So, while she was praying to God I would grow up healthy and safe, I was muttering "mickey mouse, minnie mouse" under my breath. Because that is simply what it sounded like to my 6 year old ears. Fantasia made me do it. I suppose a Mouse God is not that far off from a Golden Calf now is it? Like I said - I was 6 and determined to make my new religion work for me. Even if fasting back then included lunch every now and again.
Anyhow, as I was saying, fasting is not for everyone. There are many exceptions; the traveling, the pregnant, the poor, the sick, the elderly, the children (including Mickey Mouse crazed 6 year olds), etc. Your inability to fast does not make you a lesser of a Muslim. It is how you proceed with your non-fasting that may determine your position vis-a-vis your faith. There are those who choose to make up the days not fasted in another period of time during the year. Personally, I am waiting till the clock turns back. Cheeky. There are those who due to circumstances other than those stated above choose not to fast. Should you simply not be able to cope with the mounting pressures of life/work/kids/iphone without your 5 cups of coffee an hour, don't fret. We all have different limits. God is fair people. Just make sure you pay your dues and give to charity as applicable to your means. No smiting with His wrath involved in this scenario.
At least not to my limited knowledge. Plus if anything were to happen you couldn't sue me anyway. Right? On a more serious note, I am very aware of the overwhelming amount of fictitious information on the internet. Too many people feel they have the right to pass judgment far too easily. For example I came across a posting that claimed that if you do not pray beyond the month of Ramadan you are a Kaafir ( a non-believer). Websites like that always worry me. So do recent converts to Islam, while we are on the subject of things that worry me. Then again I also saw a Christian website that headlined with "gay marriage allowed in California - expect the wrath of god". So you see, where there is religion there is lunacy. Where there is faith, there is enough cynicism to cut through the lunacy. One may hope.
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