They called it Egypt’s largest-ever iftar table.
Tens of thousands of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi sat on a patchwork of blue tarps and carpets Wednesday evening, stretching block after block for nearly half a mile on the streets of Cairo’s Rabaa district.
After they fasted throughout the day in a sweltering tent encampment, anticipation built as dusk approached on Egypt’s first day of Ramadan and crowds prepared to share iftar, the traditional evening meal when Muslims break their daily fast.
Colorful streamers were hastily draped from tent to tent. Trucks distributed free food, including bags filled with cumin-spiced meat, dates, rice, tomatoes and beans for the moment the fast was declared over.
A burst of fireworks signaled the time for prayer, and for a moment people in the crowd — who have been holding boisterous protests for more than a week to demand Morsi’s reinstatement — were lost in religious meditation.
But within seconds after the prayer concluded, the chanting resumed. “Morsi! Morsi! We give the power to God,” they shouted, lifting pictures of the detained president.
Only then did most families sit down to eat.
Egypt entered its annual Ramadan season Wednesday with an overwhelming sense of national disunity. But if some were expecting that the monthlong period of fasting and reflection would provide some breathing space, Wednesday’s mass iftar meal in Rabaa suggested that divisions might only be heightened during the period.
Many, including the military that toppled Morsi last week, would like to see Ramadan sap the momentum from his Muslim Brotherhood supporters, who might find it hard to sustain protests while refraining from food and water from dawn to dusk. In most Muslim countries, daily life slows noticeably during Ramadan as people prefer to sleep during the day and spend the nights with family members and friends.
And with the political turmoil, many Egyptians say they’re not in a holiday mood this year. But if anything, the start of the holy month so far seems to be energizing Morsi’s supporters, who vow to keep their sit-in alive even as they fast in temperatures that are expected to hit 100 degrees in the coming days.
“This feels like a holy pilgrimage,” said Eneyat Shenway, 38, a teacher and mother of five from the city of Mansoura.
Doaa Ahmed, 33, from the Nile Delta, said her family usually prepares for Ramadan by decorating the house with colorful lanterns and cooking the children’s favorite dishes, including grape leaves and basbousa, an Egyptian semolina cake. After eating, most Egyptians gather around the TV to watch popular miniseries, a Ramadan tradition here.
This year Ahmed, her husband and their four young children had a simple meal of cheese sandwiches and juice boxes, sitting picnic-style on a plastic tarp in the street.
“But this is better than any other Ramadan we’ve had,” she said, adding that the holiday had special significance because of their struggle over Morsi’s removal.
Muslim Brotherhood officials said they were doing their best to create a holiday spirit in the encampment, decorating tents, laying carpets on the asphalt and planning nighttime soccer matches.
“If anything, Ramadan is going to give strength to our cause,” said Muslim Brotherhood cleric Gamal Abdel Sattar, a religious scholar at Al Azhar University. “Throughout history, Ramadan has been a time of victory for Muslims, so we are confident.”
Throughout the camp, people share a common view that God is on their side in the political struggle against secularists and liberals in the new interim government. They point to past examples of military victories for Muslims during the month of Ramadan, such as the initial successes during the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel.
Engineer Reda Sayed, 45, described the political struggle in religious terms. “This is a secular crusade,” he said.
Still, because Ramadan is seen as a time of brotherhood, charity and equality, ardent Muslims might find it difficult to reconcile the holiday with anti-military protests or calls for vengeance. Harming or killing other Muslims is especially taboo.
By the same token, the military might find itself more restrained during the holy month. Launching a crackdown against the protesters, such as the one Monday that killed at least 51 people, could trigger a public backlash.
During Ramadan, it’s not uncommon for violence and crime to drop, partly because people are physically weaker and more focused on religion. During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, for example, attacks against American troops usually dipped during Ramadan. A study in Saudi Arabia found men were less likely to beat their wives during the fasting month.
Other research, however, suggests that fasting and giving up vices such as cigarettes can make people more irritable and intolerant. In 2009, a church burning in Egypt was attributed to the anti-Christian sentiments whipped up during Ramadan.
During previous Palestinian uprisings, militant attacks against Israel’s occupation often increased during Ramadan out of a belief that if a Muslim dies as a martyr during the holy month, the rewards in heaven are even greater.
Most Muslim Brotherhood leaders have publicly called upon supporters to remain peaceful. But signs of militancy are evident in Rabaa. The neighborhood has been barricaded with brick walls where volunteer security guards, wearing motorcycle helmets and construction hats, stand at every entrance. Billy clubs and sticks are now sold on the streets with sunglasses and T-shirts.
“Ramadan teaches us to be patient,” said Abdel Hadi Mohamed, 30, a construction worker from Giza. “Even if we are attacked we won’t strike back.” Yet his pacifist words contrasted with the black club resting at his feet as he prepared to pray.
Outside the camp, daily life in Cairo has returned to normal. But the growing polarization has put a damper on Egypt’s usual vibrant Ramadan celebrations.
Raed Mohamed, manager of El Basha supermarket, near the Rabaa sit-in, complained that his store is usually packed during the last 10 days before Ramadan. This year customers stayed away. He speculates that many are planning a low-key holiday or are afraid to come to his shop because of its proximity to the protests.
“It just doesn’t feel like Ramadan this year,” he said.