The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan – this year it runs from March 11th to April 9th at the latest – is repeatedly the subject of false claims. It is often about supposedly non-Muslim processes adapting to Muslim ones, which can fuel hatred and incitement. We have already published several researches on this in the past.
In the current case, it is said Tiktok, the time change will be postponed in favor of Ramadan so that fasting people can eat an hour earlier. Tens of thousands saw the post.
A targeted one Google search shows: The alleged report goes back to the satire portal Noctara. The FAQs on the site say: “In contrast to the rest of the lying press, we at least admit that our reports are fictional and come from One Thousand and One Nights.” There is a publication date in that Text not at the time change, but the portal also published it in March 2023 Facebook – Noktara is also marked as a satire portal there.
However, such a reference is missing in the Tiktok post that is currently spreading, which is why some users believe the message is real and some reacted in the comments with anger or disbelief. The account that spread the false report on Tiktok did not respond to a request from CORRECTIV.Faktencheck.
The satire portal Noktara published the text in March 2023. However, the satire reference is missing on Tiktok. (Source: Facebook; Screenshot: CORRECTIV.Faktencheck)
Fasting is not based on the time, but rather on the sun and the new moon
The next Time change Daylight saving time is on the night of March 31st, at two o’clock the clocks are set forward to three o’clock. But this makes no difference for people who fast during Ramadan: Fasting is directed not according to the time. You only eat when the sun has set. On which date Ramadan ends and therefore that too Sugarproof begins depends on the Sighting of the new moon.
However, there are always discussions about generally abolishing the time change. The European Commission spoke out in favor of this in 2018, following an EU-wide survey result. Since then, the ball has been in the court of the member states; they have to agree on a determination of summer or winter time.
Edited by: Steffen Kutzner, Uschi Jonas