When we were preparing to go to Iraq in 2005 we had an Iraqi who had fled Iraq, and ended up in the employ of the CIA briefing us on culture, and Ramadan came up. One of the senior officers in the auditorium spoke up quickly, and started to say we should not drink, eat, or smoke in front of Iraqis during Ramadan, to respect their culture. This CIA dude immediately locks eyes with this officer and asks very loudly “WHY?!” The officer was a little caught off guard, and before he could answer the CIA guy started explaining. “You are American, you are Christian, you DO NOT celebrate Ramadan, and if you don’t carry on as an American during Ramadan it will be seen as weakness. It reinforces their idea that their god is the only true god, and that all others will bow before Islam. If they don’t offer you a drink when you come to their home, ask for one, during Ramadan! Make them respect you, or they will attack you more because they see you as weak. They are asserting their dominance, and if you falter in the slightest they see you as less than them.” That stuck with me, and it was true. You could see they didn’t respect the guys who went out of their way to accommodate them, both in the way they acted towards American troops, and in the number of attacks on US Forces in the areas. Eat, drink, and be Merry, even during Ramadan. FREEDOM ! 🇺🇸 Keep That PMA 🇺🇸