Ramadan 2020: Medical worker in Dubai fasts in unity with Muslim colleagues amid COVID-19 outbreak

Shini Joseph a Dubai based nurse who has been in the UAE  is setting new standards by fasting while working as frontline healthcare worker during the holy month. Speaking about the same, Shini says, "I have been in the UAE for the last 11 years and started fasting from my first year itself. At the hospital, most of my colleagues fast during Ramadan. So, I join them in solidarity. I believe this upholds unity and imparts tolerance among communities. During the initial years, fasting meant joining my friends in their religious observance. However, in the past few years, it has become a habit," 

Shini praises the UAE's commitment to the values of tolerance and co-existence, which has made a deep impact on her. "Living here for over a decade, the culture and observations of this nation have become an inalienable part of my life."However, Shini noted that unlike previous years, now the medical staff has to put in long hours of work, which is tiresome and may also become a hindrance in observing fast on all days."Due to Covid-19 outbreak, our  workload is huge. I am not sure if I would be able to fast every day. But I am trying to observe fasting on as many days I can."