Daily Bulletin

Amid December feasts, Muslims fast

"God has blessed Muslims with this month," says Merali, a project manager in UW's health studies and gerontology department. "Through his mercy and compassion, every good deed performed during this month is equivalent to 70 such deeds in other months. This encourages us to give to charity, and to be kind to our friends and family, resulting in attainment of spirituality and closeness to God."

Ramadan -- which began November 27 and will run through December 26 -- is also a period of ritual fasting for observant Muslims. Says Merali: "Adherents are required to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and marital sexual intercourse during the hours between sunrise and sunset."

It's not always easy. "Carrying through an entire month of fasting requires an incredible amount of commitment, both to one's community (who will be observing) and to God (who will also be observing). In this sense, fasting reestablishes the close ties of the Muslim community in a shared sacrifice. . . . This period of time is extremely useful in terms of purification of the body, mind, and spirit."

Ramadan, which is determined by the lunar calendar, cycles through the secular year, and in 2001 will start somewhat earlier, in mid-November. But this year, as in 1999, it overlaps the Christmas season, when fasting is the farthest thing from most minds in a largely Christian and secular society.

And at UW it overlaps exam time. "Some students find it normal to write their exams while they are fasting," says one Muslim graduate student, Adil Al-Mayah of civil engineering. "Others prefer to study or prepare for exams at night, after breaking their fast."

"The beginning of the fasting can be quite a challenge in any culture," says Merali, "as we physically and mentally adjust to the lack of food and water during daylight hours. In Muslim countries, everyone around you fasts during the day and most restaurants close until sunset. There is a common bond and unity around you. In Canada and other western countries, it is difficult to feel the real essence of fasting, when people around you are eating. Hence fasting becomes a greater challenge. After a day or two, Muslims adjust to the abstinence."

Nightly, after sunset, there are meals and prayer gatherings at mosques -- such as the Waterloo Masjid on Erb Street just south of the campus. "This helps us to succeed in spiritual purification and reformation," Merali insists. Al-Mayah adds: "It may be said that Ramadan is more enjoyable in areas where most of the people are fasting. However, Ramadan has its essence no matter where it is practised."

And she says: "I have found that Canadians and the university community in particular are receptive and eager to learn about fasting. I have taken the time to explain the importance of Ramadan and its benefits, and have found that staff, faculty and students have always shown respect and are very sensitive to the demands and restrictions placed on Muslims during this month. Many apologize for eating in my presence, and some deliberately refrain from eating when they are around me." Al-Mayah says he's had the same experience: "All the people around me in school know that I am fasting. They respect that."

The end of Ramadan will be marked with the festival of Eid-al-Fitr on December 27 -- prayers, followed by the biggest party of the year, with meals, lights, decorations and gifts for children.

Letters from readers About virus protection: "As an aside to your article," writes a math student, "I would also like to note that there are a lot of virus hoaxes going around, which are not as dangerous, but are very annoying and cause a lot of panic. If people receive e-mail about a virus, they should check the Symantec (Norton) virus hoax page before forwarding it on to everyone on their mailing lists." About crokinole: "On Wednesday's Daily Bulletin," writes a staff member, "there was an article about the crokinole collection, and it referred to 'the late Wayne Kelly' [whose collection of crokinole boards has come to the UW games museum]. My parents are best friends with Wayne's parents, Stu and Ruth Kelly, and Wayne is alive and well."

Changes to drug plan on January 1

The main point of the new rule is a "dispensing fee cap" of $6 per prescription.

The dispensing fee is part of the price of each prescription a drugstore sells. It covers the cost of the pharmacist's services, and is a standard amount, typically between $4 and $12. The other part of the total price is the cost of the actual ingredients in the medication, which may be a few cents or hundreds of dollars.

UW's health plan pays the bulk of prescription drug costs for staff and faculty members and their families -- 80 per cent of the price until an "out-of-pocket annual maximum" is reached, and 100 per cent after that. The out-of-pocket maximum in 2001 will be $109 per year for a single person, $218 for a family.

But as of January 1, the 80 per cent and 100 per cent figures don't apply to the total price of the prescription. Any part of the dispensing fee that's over $6 will not be covered at all, and is up to the individual to pay.

A letter from the human resources department, sent to staff and faculty members this week, gives an example: "If the ingredient cost is $35.00 and the dispensing fee is $9.00, the Plan pays 80% of the ingredient cost ($28.00) and 80% of the $6.00 dispensing fee cap ($4.80) for a total of $32.80. The member pays 20% of the ingredient cost ($7.00) and 20% of the dispensing fee cap ($1.20) plus 100% of the dispensing fee above the cap (in this case $3.00) for a total of $11.20."

When a member's out-of-pocket maximum is reached, the plan will pay 100 per cent of the ingredient cost for eligible drugs and 100 per cent of the dispensing fee up to the $6 cap. Any amount paid above the dispensing fee cap does not count towards the out-of-pocket maximum.

With the letter, the HR department distributed a list of pharmacies in a "Preferred Pharmacy Network" who have agreed to charge a low dispensing fee (no more than $8) in the coming year. "Some have agreed to a dispensing fee as low as $4.99," the letter says. The HR web site includes an up-to-date PPN list.

Says the letter, from David Dietrich in HR: "Regular dispensing fees are often $10.00 or higher and obviously, if you choose to use a PPN pharmacy you will save money. However, you continue to have the right to choose to use any pharmacy. Given our dispensing fee cap of $6.00 in the Plan you are encouraged to make your pharmacist aware of the change. This may or may not influence the dispensing fee you are charged."

Glenda Rutledge in HR, phone ext. 6120, is available to answer questions about the change in the health plan.

Computing courses in January

• Web Based Training for Learning Computer Skills
• Introduction to Unix
• Linux Overview
• Using PowerPoint for a Class Presentation
• Introduction to Corel Draw V9
• Creating a Web Page Using HTML
• Introduction to DreamWeaver

• Creating Databases With Microsoft Access
• Introduction to SAS
• Submitting Your Thesis Online

More information and a registration form for these courses can be found on the web. New courses will be taught every month, and advertised on the web site.

Walking in a winter wonderland

And it's the season for Christmas parties. The library had its event yesterday afternoon, and I suspect a party in IST lies behind the announcement that the Computer Help and Information Place (CHIP) will be closed at noontime today, from about 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A production of "Top Girls" by Caryl Churchill, put on by the off-campus Paradox Theatre Company, continues tonight and Saturday night at 8:00 in Studio 180 in the Humanities building. Information: 729-5495.

But don't look to the Humanities box office for tickets to that or any other performance: the box office is closed until the new year, reopening January 3.

The University Catholic Community sends word that Sunday morning Masses continue at the usual times, but there will be no 7 p.m. Mass again until January. (Weekday noon Masses have also ended until the new year.)

An Anglican service of carols and lessons with the Renison College Choir will be held at St. Bede's Chapel at Renison on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., marking the third Sunday in Advent.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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