the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan

Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistani Muslims gather at a stall to buy traditional food stuff for 'Iftar' a time to break their fast, on the first day of holy fasting month of Ramadan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, in Karachi, Pakistan. Muslims across the world are observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan, where they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk.

before he breaks the daytime ...

An Indian Muslim man seen before he breaks the daytime fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Jama Masjid mosque near New Delhi, India on 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan which prohibits food, drinks, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.

traditional bread

An Afghan man sells traditional bread at a shop on a roadside during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Herat, Afghanistan, 02 August 2011.

traditional sweets 'Jalaibi' at a shop on a roadside,

An Afghan man prepares traditional sweets 'Jalaibi' at a shop on a roadside, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Herat, Afghanistan, 02 August 2011.

man sells watermelon

An Afghan man sells watermelon on a roadside, during a holy Fasting month of Ramadan, in Herat, Afghanistan, 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world observing Ramadan, which according to Lunar calender, to start from 01 of August. Ramadan prohibits eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

traditional sweets 'Jalaibi'

An Afghan man prepares traditional sweets 'Jalaibi' at a shop on a roadside, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Herat, Afghanistan, 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world observing Ramadan, which according to Lunar calender, to start from 01 of August. Ramadan prohibits eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa

Muslim men buy food for breaking fast in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa August 2, 2011. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Muslim Holy Fasting month of Ramadan in Lahore, Pakistan

A Muslim man distributes meals for the evening of the first day of the Muslim Holy Fasting month of Ramadan in Lahore, Pakistan, 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world are observing Ramadan, which according to the Lunar calendar starts on 02 August this year. Ramadan prohibits eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities from dawn to dusk.

the first day of the Muslim Holy Fasting month of Ramadan in Lahore

Muslims prepare meals for the evening of the first day of the Muslim Holy Fasting month of Ramadan in Lahore, Pakistan, 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world are observing Ramadan, which according to the Lunar calendar starts on 02 August this year. Ramadan prohibits eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities from dawn to dusk.

local market in Kashgar, Xinjiang

An ethnic Uighur man cooks food at a local market in Kashgar, Xinjiang province August 2, 2011. Chinese security forces blanketed central areas of Kashgar city in the western region of Xinjiang on Tuesday, days after deadly attacks that China blamed on Islamic militants highlighted ethnic tensions in the Muslim Uighur area.

Indian Muslim women

Indian Muslim women eat as they break the daytime fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Jama Masjid mosque near New Delhi, India on 02 August 2011. Muslims all over the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan which prohibits food, drinks, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.

Somali woman and children are escorted in the rain by soldiers

A group of famine striken Somali woman and children are escorted in the rain by soldiers from the Transitional Federal Government from their camp to a medical camp run by South African aid relief group 'The Gift of the Givers' in the Hawlwadag district in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 02 August 2011. More areas of East Africa would be hit by famine as drought conditions worsen, United Nations officials warned on 02 August, while fighting with Islamist militias in Somalia was hampering aid efforts. In July, more than 40,000 Somali refugees arrived at the Dadaab camp in neighboring Kenya, the highest monthly arrival rate in the camp's 20-year history, according to the UN.

Somali child

A Somali child with its mother and others stands in line as they wait for medical assistance from doctors of the South African aid relief group 'The Gift of the Givers' at a makeshift medical camp for famine striken Somali in the Hawlwadag district, Mogadishu, Somalia, on 02 August 2011. More areas of East Africa would be hit by famine as drought conditions worsen, United Nations officials warned on 02 August, while fighting with Islamist militias in Somalia was hampering aid efforts. In July, more than 40,000 Somalis arrived at Dadaab, Kenya, the highest monthly arrival rate in the camp's 20-year history, according to the UN. Aid workers have warned that humanitarian conditions in the pressurized camp are poor, despite UN efforts to supply food, water and medical services.

Somali woman and children

A group of famine striken Somali woman and children are escorted in the rain from their camp to a medical camp run by South African aid relief group 'The Gift of the Givers' in the Hawlwadag district in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 02 August 2011. More areas of East Africa would be hit by famine as drought conditions worsen, United Nations officials warned on 02 August, while fighting with Islamist militias in Somalia was hampering aid efforts. In July, more than 40,000 Somali refugees arrived at the Dadaab camp in neighboring Kenya, the highest monthly arrival rate in the camp's 20-year history, according to the UN.

Somali woman

A Somali woman sits in her makeshift tent made of sticks and cloths as she waits for medical assistance at a makeshift medical camp of the South African aid relief group 'The Gift of the Givers' for famine striken Somalis in the Hawlwadag district, Mogadishu, Somalia, on 02 August 2011. More areas of East Africa would be hit by famine as drought conditions worsen, United Nations officials warned on 02 August, while fighting with Islamist militias in Somalia was hampering aid efforts. In July, more than 40,000 Somalis arrived at Dadaab, Kenya, the highest monthly arrival rate in the camp's 20-year history, according to the UN. Aid workers have warned that humanitarian conditions in the pressurized camp are poor, despite UN efforts to supply food, water and medical services.

the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan

An Iranian Shiite Muslim man prays at the shrine of Saint Saleh, in the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan, in northern Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. During the month, Muslims are expected to abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex to focus on spirituality. This year, the long and hot summer days are expected to compound the already tough fast.

donkey who died

A carcass of a donkey who died from a drought lays in Dadaab, northeastern Kenya, 02 August 2011. More than 1,000 refugees Somali fleeing conflict and hunger in their country are arriving daily at already packed Dadaab refugee camp, which was designed to accommodate 90,000 refugees. The camp now hosts over 400,000 and the population is on the rise with ever increasing influx of new arrivals from Somalia. The Kenyan government remains reluctant to open the new camp Ifo 2, saying the influx of more refugees are a secirity risk to the country

A Muslim man reads the Koran

A Muslim man reads the Koran on the second day of Ramadan in Khartoum August 2, 2011. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Indian Muslims

Indian Muslims offer prayers prior to breaking their fast on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad on August 2, 2011. Like millions around the world, Indian Muslims celebrated the month of Ramadan by abstaining from eating, drinking, and smoking as well as sexual activities from dawn to dusk

second day of Ramadan in Khartoum

Muslims pray on the second day of Ramadan in Khartoum August 2, 2011. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Somali child

A severely malnourished displaced Somali child is admitted at southern Mogadishu's Banadir hospital for treatment on August 2, 2011. Warnings grow that famine could spread across all southern Somalia, but the urgent action needed to avert that is being hampered as conflict escalates and rebels maintain a stranglehold on aid.Famine was declared in two Somali regions last month, but UN humanitarian relief chief Valerie Amos has warned it could extend across the majority of the south.

Blind women use the braille system to read copies of the Koran

Blind women use the braille system to read copies of the Koran on the second day of Ramadan in Malang on August 2, 2011. Like millions of Muslim around the world, Indonesians celebrated the month of Ramadan by abstaining from eating, drinking, and smoking as well as sexual activities from dawn to dusk.

special prayers Taraveeh

Pakistani Muslims offer special prayers Taraveeh in a Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, in Faisalabad, Pakistan on 01 August 2011. Muslims all over the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan which prohibits food and drinks from dawn to dusk.

A man sells copies of the Quran,

A man sells copies of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the central Mosque in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's

A Palestinian girl (C) and her young sister who looks up at the colored lights make their way to night prayers in a narrow street leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel, 01 August 2011, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Palestinian boys

Palestinian boys read the Koran at the al-Omari mosque in Gaza City on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on 01 August 2011. Muslims throughout the world are celebrating the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn to dusk

Pakistani Muslims

Pakistani Muslims gather for Iftar at the Dervesh Mosque in Peshawar on August 1, 2011, on the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Throughout the month devout Muslims must abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn until sunset when they break the fast with the Iftar meal.

Filipino Muslims pray

Filipino Muslims pray inside a mosque during the start of Ramadan in Quiapo, metro Manila August 1, 2011. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Ramadan lanterns in a shop in Cairo

A woman carrying her child buys Ramadan lanterns in a shop in Cairo ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, July 27, 2011.

selling Ramadan lanterns ahead

A man smokes water pipes in his makeshift shop selling Ramadan lanterns ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo July 27, 2011.