The month of October is home to a couple of religious observances Ed Board thinks are worth mentioning. This month may be the tenth month of the Christian calendar, but it is month No. 9 for those who practice Islam.

Oct. 4 of this year marked the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month, and the fourth of the five Pillars of Islam. Practicing Muslims must observe the month-long holiday by fasting, which means no food and no water from sunup until sundown, and abstention from smoking and hanky-panky between those hours.

This may not sound like much fun, but at the end of the observance on Nov. 3, there will be a celebration and worship to Allah. Yesterday at sundown marked the beginning of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, or “Day of Atonement.” This is the most holy of days in the Jewish calendar and requires followers of Judaism to do a whole lot of fasting and a whole lot of prayer, much like a more abridged version of Ramadan.

So, that means that no eating as of last night until later this evening. The point of all this is to atone for one’s sins against God, aka Yahweh, and man. The prayer part will score you points with Yahweh, but in order to get in good with your fellow men and women, you have to point blank ask for forgiveness and end all ongoing disputes.

Ed Board thinks it is important to understand what our friends are celebrating in their respective religions during this time. In commemoration of Ramadan, the Muslim Students Association is holding its annual Fast-a-thon. Anyone can participate in this event and all you really have to give up is 12 hours of food and beverage. At the end of the day, you can attend a banquet with Muslim students.

Ed Board applauds SMU students who are putting forth the effort to take part in this experience and get a taste of Muslim tradition. Not only can you learn something, but you can also simultaneously raise money for some worthy charities that fight hunger.

If you were unable to sign up for Fast-a-thon this year, fret not, this event happens every year. You can still learn more about both Ramadan and Yom Kippur by simply talking wih friends who observe these holidays or by surfing the Web.