Call to avoid public decorations and events for Ramadan in Tel Aviv-Jaff

The International Center for the Study of Political Islam (CSPII) has submitted a request to the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality urging the city to avoid public decorations and events marking the month of Ramadan. The request, sent to the Community and Culture Department, argues that Islamic traditions contain elements that contradict the values of the State of Israel and that the municipality should reconsider publicly funded celebrations.

Key Claims in the Report

The report is based on sources from the Quran and Islamic tradition, which, according to its authors, indicate that Ramadan carries themes that do not align with democratic values.

The main claims include:

Non-Muslims are not viewed as equals – According to traditional Islamic sources, non-Muslims are not considered equal to Muslims in religious law.
Ramadan and historical conflicts – The report states that Ramadan has historically been a period of wars and clashes with non-Muslim groups.
Islamic law and interactions with non-Muslims – According to the authors, Islamic law restricts cooperation between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The Principle of Dar al-Harb – The report argues that Ramadan observance is not obligatory in territories not ruled by Islamic law, suggesting that there is no religious requirement to hold public Ramadan celebrations in a Jewish-democratic state.

Recommendation to Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality

In its letter, CSPII calls on the municipality to reconsider supporting public events related to Ramadan, expressing concerns that such events might promote religious narratives that could be seen as extreme and potentially inconsistent with Israel’s democratic values.

Implications and Reactions

The request has sparked public interest and is expected to fuel a broader discussion on the balance between religious freedom and the nature of public religious celebrations in Israel’s urban spaces. The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality has yet to respond to the request.