Zanzibar restricts eating and dressing during Ramadhan

Zanzibar has issued notices to tourists and residents against eating, drinking or smoking in public during the Holy Month of Ramadhan, urging respect to cultural and Islamic values.

The measures are aimed at preserving religious sensitivities in the predominantly Muslim Island state.

The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) directed restaurants, bars and food outlets outside hotel compounds to close during daylight hours across the archipelago. They may reopen after sunset for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast.

Food and beverage services within hotel grounds may operate without restrictions, but only for registered guests and in designated areas.

The Commission warned tourists and residents against eating, drinking or smoking in public during fasting hours. It also called for modest dress in public spaces, with beachwear restricted to beaches and hotel compounds.

ZCT said the measures aim to promote social harmony between visitors and Zanzibar’s predominantly Muslim population as it emphasized the importance of adhering to existing customs and laws during the holy month.

This move reflects the deeply ingrained cultural and religious significance of Ramadhan in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous state of Tanzania.

In Zanzibar, the prohibition of public eating during Ramadhan is not just a matter of legal enforcement but also a deeply rooted religious and cultural practice that shapes social norms and interactions. At the advent of the holy month, food establishments remain closed throughout the day, reopening only after the call to the Maghrib prayer.

The situation in Zanzibar echoes similar policies Muslim-majority regions in Nigeria’s Kano State where nine people were arrested on Wednesday after they were seen eating in public on the first day of Ramadhan.

The arrests were carried out by the Hisbah, the Islamic police operating in Kano State, a predominantly Muslim region in northern Nigeria where Sharia law functions alongside the country’s secular legal system.

According to Hisbah Deputy Commander General Mujahid Aminudeen, the nine individuals seven men and two women were detained after allegedly claiming they were unaware that the holy month had commenced. Authorities stated that the action formed part of the annual Ramadhan enforcement exercise aimed at ensuring Muslims observe the mandatory fast from sunrise to sunset.

As Ramadhan continues, enforcement measures remain in place across Kano, reflecting the state’s firm stance on upholding religious obligations during the sacred month.