1. Can the category 'culture' (or religion) be used?	​Yes. Ramadan is a month-long ritual-festive process characterised by a strong religious sense. For a Muslim, Ramadan is a necessary practice to publicly manifest one's membership of the Umma (Muslim community of believers), which is why this celebration also has a strong ludic-festive character for the community.
2. Description of the cultural (or religious) practice and group.	Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar year, instituted as a period of obligatory fasting to commemorate the descent of revelation, i.e. the moment when the angel Gabriel revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad. Every adult Muslim, man or woman, is obliged to observe the fast of Ramadan; the Qur'an and Sunna stipulate its compulsoriness and set out its requirements, as well as exceptions and how to make up for missing days, and these rules are known to every Muslim. Exempt from fasting are the sick, the elderly, children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and during their menstrual cycle, as well as those who are traveling, people engaged in heavy work, sick people whose health condition could be worsened by fasting, and people with severe hunger or thirst problems for whom fasting may have a negative impact on health. Those who miss a day of fasting for any of these reasons must make it up, if possible and if conditions permit, before the next Ramadan. Otherwise, the days will be accumulated. The undue breaking of the fast requires strict compensation, which varies according to the situation and can even go as far as fasting for two months for each day missed, or paying for food for a certain number of poor people and for a period of time determined by the Sunna. There are, in fact, two types of 'missed fasts', fidya and kaffara: fidya is fasting missed out of necessity, i.e. for those who are unable to make up the days they have fasted; it can be covered through monetary compensation for the needy, which can only be paid when the person is unable to make up the fast. Kaffara, meanwhile, is the avoidance of fasting without a valid and acknowledged reason, which may require a very long period of fasting, or a very high compensation, requirements which are often difficult for most believers to sustain. During Ramadan, no solid or liquid substances may be ingested during daylight hours (from sunrise to sunset) and all forms of copulation must be avoided. In addition to strict daytime fasting, other religious practices are followed during this month, such as the daily reading of the Koran (carried out so that by the end of the month the entire Holy Book has been read), or the scrupulous observance of almsgiving (since hunger aims to make Muslims aware of the existence of the poor). During this period nothing may enter the body of an adult person during daylight hours, not even water, and one may not have sex or smoke. Some stricter beliefs also include the prohibition of perfuming oneself, showering and even ingesting saliva. Drugs, whether oral, injectable or topical, are also forbidden, although there may be different interpretations depending on which Islamic current one belongs to. The first bite or sip a Muslim takes at the end of the day, the so-called breaking of the fast or iftar, is usually dates and water or milk. This fruit of paradise provides fibre, sugars, fats, proteins and vitamins whose properties are easily absorbed by the body, thus reducing the appetite in a shorter period of time. The month of Ramadan begins with the appearance of the new moon and ends with the next moon; therefore, it can last 29 or 30 days. This celebration defines a clear opposition between day and night, and the breaking of the fast marks the change of rhythm, which in some countries takes place by eating an odd number of dates and a glass of milk. Prayer follows and then the first meal, often eaten with the family, at a friend's house or in a mosque; the latter is more frequent among singles and those whose family is in the country of origin. Muslims recite five prayers a day and each prayer takes no more than a few minutes. Prayer in Islam is the direct link between God and the believer; there are no intermediaries between them. Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and at night; the Muslim can perform the prayer in almost any place, such as fields, factories, offices, universities, etc. Every Muslim is required to absent himself from his business, school or work to attend Friday prayer, the most important prayer of the week, which generally takes place from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. Friday prayer is a religious obligation, and every good Muslim is required to make an arrangement with his or her employer to find time to participate, for example by making up lost hours by working overtime during the week or staying late on Fridays. At the end of Ramadan, a holiday is celebrated: Eid al-Fit. Muslims celebrate this holiday by wearing new clothes, and the whole day is celebrated by believers, who visit the homes of relatives and friends and eat special dishes cooked for the occasion. Traditionally, children receive gifts, presents and sweets from their loved ones as a symbol of love and festivity. After the feast, life returns to normal for the Muslim, who gradually regains the practices abandoned during Ramadan, until the announcement of the next month of compulsory fasting restarts the cycle.
​3. Embedding the individual practice in the broader cultural (or religious) system.	Being a Muslim implies the acceptance of a certain system of life in which the Koran and the Sunna are the main points of reference, and which contain a set of rules that regulate and organise the individual and social life of the Muslim, constituting a project of social order. The five pillars of Islam are the very essence of a Muslim's life: the testimony of faith, prayer, the giving of Zakat (aid to the poor), fasting during the month of Ramadan and the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca for those who have the means to do so. Islam, like any religion, adapts and adjusts to different contexts and situations, which is why it is possible to find different expressions of Muslim religiosity, whether in its individual, collective or social dimensions. But there is one recurring element for all Muslims that takes place in all contexts, albeit with differences: Ramadan. It marks the social life of believers and is considered to be the highest expression of Muslim identity, as it is the time when several hundred million people around the world fast from dawn to dusk, in keeping with the fourth pillar of Islam.
4. Is the practice essential (to the survival of the group), compulsory or optional?	The practice is religiously obligatory, constituting one of the five pillars of Islam. In a context of emigration, Ramadan often becomes a necessary identity tool, a fundamental reference point for Muslims as a synthesis of beliefs and practices, of the way of understanding, explaining and facing reality, and which becomes necessary to express in 'other' contexts to feel one's belonging. It has, in fact, an important symbolic efficacy, and is capable of intensifying social relations and 'building' a community and its sense of belonging.
​5.     Is the practice shared by the group, or is it contested?	Since there is no strict social control in the countries of emigration that obliges Muslims to observe Ramadan, its observance becomes a personal choice to which, nevertheless, most adhere; there are few who openly abstain from fasting, which would automatically take them out of the community. There are, in fact, no structured debates within Islamic communities directed towards abandoning the practice, as it is one of the five fundamental pillars of the religion. Ramadan is an important sign of group specificity; it is a fundamental means of identity production and reproduction. For the immigrant, the practice of Ramadan is the expression of a tradition and implies the re-production of cultural models, the strengthening of bonds of belonging to a particular social group. For Muslims, the practice of Ramadan reflects their self-image on three levels: as individuals, as members of the group that constitutes their environment of interaction and, finally, as part of the Umma, the community of believers. From an individual point of view, Ramadan reminds Muslims of the rules of behaviour that they must follow at all times as believers. These established rules govern all aspects of life and allow them to identify themselves in religious terms with the community in which they live and to establish their social identity. Moreover, through Ramadan, Muslims renew their membership of a community every year, so that those who are away from mosques during the year return during this month, which is a time of reunion and a time to encourage sociability and group solidarity.
​6.     How would the average person belonging to that culture (or religion) behave?	Generally speaking, it can be said that there is wide conformity, partly because Ramadan is an important time of conviviality and meeting people who only come together on festive occasions. It should be noted that fasting during the working day in a secular country can cause problems, as it inevitably has an effect on productivity and concentration levels. Although some Muslims try to absent themselves from work during Ramadan, it is likely that many continue to work during the month and frequently experience problems in work contexts due to 'slowed productivity' caused by a lack of energy due to fasting and due to breaks from work to perform prayers.
​7.     Is the subject sincere?	It is highly probable that any requests made by a person of the Islamic religion in employment or other areas, such as education, are symptomatic of a sincere adherence to the practice: - it is a widespread practice among the faithful of the Islamic religion, which often in migratory contexts accentuates its spiritual and convivial value, of community belonging and identity; - it is surrounded by a powerful sense of the sacred, and thus any non-acceptance of this pillar of the Islamic religion would be more easily expressed by abstention from fasting than by its strategic, self-serving use, since a double violation of a divine nature would be committed; - The condition in which a large proportion of Muslim workers in Italy, and immigrants in general, find themselves, is precarious, especially at the beginning of their stay; therefore, both those who find themselves in this precarious condition and those who have achieved a certain stability, would not question their achievements if not for a valid and profound reason such as the fulfillment of a fundamental religious requirement. There are some indices that may be useful, in conjunction with these general considerations, to identify the sincerity of the subject in adhering to the practice for example: the origin of the subject and, in particular, his or her state of origin; there are in fact many countries of the Islamic religion in which, for example, the violation of fasting is considered a crime or in any case unlawful under divine and state law, a fact that could influence the subject's perception of the possible violation of what he or she has always considered a crime; a hearing of the subjects and the reasons for which they adhere to the practice, especially in cases where the practice involves minors whose parents (either both or only one of them), do not look favourably on the performance of the practice.
8.     The search for the cultural equivalent: the translation of the minority practice into a corresponding (Italian) majority practice. ​	Italian cultural equivalents include the Lenten fast and the health/purification fast. Reference to the forms of fasting during Lent, typical of the Catholic cult, as a form of cultural equivalent, may not be sufficiently illustrative as it is not considered equally meaningful and representative by all believers. Objectively speaking, the Lenten fast is similar to Ramadan, albeit with different time intervals, however, it is not a highly widespread practice among the population, even among the more 'observant' ones, and is contested by some, considered obsolete, lacking in utility and spiritual value. Lenten fasting, moreover, has a more penitential purpose and does not have the convivial characteristics that Ramadan has, which becomes an occasion for prolonged sharing of fasting and prayer, but also celebration. More significant might be the reference to those forms of fasting that are implemented by some individuals in the belief that they generate a purifying function and bodily well-being, as well as a guarantee of health over time. Often these forms of prolonged abstention from food, albeit conditional on certain modalities, are endorsed by wellness professionals, nutritionists or health professionals who identify their benefits from a physiological point of view. Despite the fact that such fasts cannot boast a religious foundation as in the Islamic case, those who adhere to them almost always recognise their bodily and spiritual purifying value, associating them with a condition of physical and mental wellbeing, a condition of balance, and forms of independence of the spirit with respect to materiality. Some religious aspects, moreover, are permeated in the vision of fasting by nutritionists from other cultures (e.g. Japanese, Indian, Chinese) who operate in Italy and who, in their courses and suggestions, convey the religious/philosophical background of, for example, Indian yoga, Chinese Qi, etc. Among such religious/spiritual backgrounds, consider the fact that semi-fasting is believed to produce purification of the blood and, as such, invite the emergence of new thoughts. Furthermore, semi-fasting, by encouraging defecation, would help one to get rid of one's past and create the conditions to change one's destiny (on the mystical significance of the act of eating and fasting, see Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, The Yoga of Nutrition, Prosveta editions 2014).
9.      Does the practice cause harm? ​	The practice could cause physical harm (fatigue, chronic tiredness, weakness, fainting, lack of concentration) as it involves the deprivation of water and food for prolonged periods of the day and especially for the total duration of about 30 days. However, it is Islamic law itself that provides for abstention from religious prescription in the presence of pathologies, for the elderly, for women (during pregnancy or during their periods), and for travelers. In general, the religious precept is organised according to a pattern that allows the fast to be disregarded for justified reasons and then remedied. This is not a fast in itself, but an abstention carried out with a strong will and motivation on the part of the faithful, and this strongly modifies the perception of physical harm, the endurance of which is the means for the faithful to achieve a greater good, salvation, the care of their spirituality and identity, in community. The 'physical harm' of the normal debilitation that fasting can bring is an integral part of the practice. The damage can, however, increase and mutate into more serious forms of debilitation, for example, when the subject finds himself living the religious life far from his country of origin, in a context that does not adapt social life to the practice, in work contexts that concentrate activities precisely at the time of fasting, that is, during the day, in sectors that test physical endurance even under normal conditions of hydration and nutrition, such as agriculture and construction, especially in the summer months. In this case, debilitation can lead to more serious work accidents, heat stroke or dehydration. Reconciling the needs of the employer with those of the religious freedom of Muslim workers is the only way to mitigate the dangers.
​10.  What impact does the minority practice have on the culture, constitutional values, and rights of the (Italian) majority?	The practice of Ramadan is distant from the majority culture: partly because of the sacrifice it entails, and that when viewed from the outside it appears to be an over-emphasised and disabling deprivation, especially with respect to the demands of contemporary society, such as work productivity, efficiency, and the care of physical well-being; partly because it is difficult to understand on a spiritual level, since in secularised Western societies, outward religious practices linked to religious precepts are diminishing or are seen as retrograde and obsolete ways that limit the freedom of individuals and damage their physical and psychological well-being.  For the majority culture, the practice could have an impact on individual freedom, because it is seen as a religious imposition, which together with other similar prescriptions, limits the ability of individuals to choose in relation to the commonly understood lifestyle: where there are no particular externally imposed limitations, those of a religious nature are no longer felt. It may also impact on the health value of adults, e.g. workers, but also of minors with respect, for example, to those cases in which young Muslims choose to practice complete or partial forms of fasting to follow their parents' beliefs. In the work and school context, the practice would be considered detrimental to the value of efficiency and productivity because it could lead either to the inability to perform certain tasks/tasks or to poorer performance in terms of physical strength and mental concentration. On the other hand, however, the practice fits fully into the exercise of religious freedom and confessional pluralism, which are values shared by the majority culture. In the majority culture, the exercise of the practice could affect the right to health of the worker in the workplace, who in the absence of an adjustment of work performance to practice could face greater difficulties, especially in certain sectors such as agriculture or construction, giving rise to more or less serious illnesses or indirectly leading to more serious accidents. In schools, the practice by adolescents, in the majority view, could always interfere with the right to health and to some extent with the right to education. In the employment law sector, the right of employees to religious freedom (art. 19 Const.) and the state's duty to implement positive actions to guarantee confessional pluralism (Const. Court 203/1989) grant substantial equality in the exercise of rights that lead to the development of the personality of the individual and in social formations (art. 3 paragraph II Const.; art. 2 Const.). This certainly clashes with the freedom of economic initiative of employers (art. 41 Const.) who often do not have sufficient means to implement forms of corporate integration or are often not sensitive to the problem. The law provides only a partial and principled solution to this contrast, through the transposition not only of constitutional principles on religious discrimination, but also of EU provisions (directive 78/2000, transposed by Legislative Decree 216/2003;), affirming the prohibition of discrimination in the workplace on religious grounds, at all stages of the employment relationship (access, access to training, employment and working conditions, pay and dismissal). A concrete contribution to solving these problems has been made by many businesses, which, interfacing with a large number of workers of the Islamic religion, have drawn up agreements with the main trade unions to facilitate moments of prayer during working hours, the enjoyment of extended weekday periods for visits to countries of origin or other needs related to worship. The difficulty in coordinating the rights and values at stake is not only due to a difficulty in intercultural understanding of the need for the practice, but also to the lack of economic means that Italian businesses, mostly represented by small and medium-sized enterprises, often find in applying reasonable accommodations in the area of employees' religious freedom.
​11.   Does the practice perpetuate patriarchy?	No.
12.  What good reasons does the minority present for continuing the practice? The criterion of an equally valid life choice.	The minority presents innumerable good reasons to continue the practice and to do so even in places other than private places such as one's home or religious places such as the mosque. First of all, it is one of the five pillars of the Islamic religion, which means that a practising believer cannot exempt himself from it. Ramadan has a very high spiritual value, as it represents a way for the faithful to empathise with the poorest, most unfortunate and those without means; it represents a time for the community to come together, especially when, after the long hours of fasting, people gather with family or other faithful to pray and refresh themselves, and, therefore, it is a way to keep alive a sense of belonging and identity. Moreover, among the good reasons for the practice also in the workplace or in contexts other than private or closely related to the cult of origin, is the fact that from a social point of view, work, in today's society, is assuming a preponderant role in the lives of individuals, absorbing many spaces of daily life in terms not only of quantity and number of hours, but also of quality. Therefore, it is legitimate that part of the care of the spirit is also performed during that part of the day that is dedicated to work performance.