Ashura - Muslim fasting of gratitude for freedom of Jews 

Ashura is hugely significant for the Muslim communities’ connection with Prophet Musa and his struggle. It is recommended that the Muslims should fast on the 10th day of the first Arabic calendar month and accompany it by fasting the day before or day after to express their gratitude to God for freeing the Jewish people from the shackles of pharaoh. In our contemporary context we should fast to express our thanks for the freedom of all people and symbolise all our human struggles against oppression, dictatorship and tyranny. We should fast for the freedom of Palestinians.