Kosovar miner Emin Hasani feels closer to God when he breaks the Ramadan fast over 2,600 feet underground. He and several of his colleagues laugh and chat with each other as they share the Iftar meal, eaten after a day of fasting between sunrise and sunset during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

In Kosovo, Emin Hasani, a miner, experiences a unique spiritual connection during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan by breaking his fast well over 2,600 feet below the earth's surface. Alongside his colleagues, he partakes in the Iftar meal, a traditional dinner that marks the end of daily fasting from sunrise to sunset throughout Ramadan. This communal act of sharing food and conversation deep underground becomes a distinctive aspect of their observance of the holy month.

The miners, including Hasani, find a deeper sense of camaraderie and closeness to God amidst their challenging work environment by observing this religious practice. The act of breaking their fast together, deep within the earth, underscores the significance of Ramadan's principles of reflection, devotion, and community to those who observe it, even in the most unconventional of settings.



Miners in Kosovo break Ramadan fast underground

These miners in Kosovo are breaking their Ramadan fast over 2,600 feet underground. After a long and sweltering shift down the Trepsha mine in Stanterg in northern Kosovo, Emin Hassani checks a clock so he knows when the sun is setting at the surface and whether the time has come to eat. Their Iftar meal, which Muslims eat during the holy month after a day of fasting between sunrise and sunset, consists of dates, yogurt, pickles and cheese that they wash down with sugary black tea. Here, I am closer to God, and this is normal. We are always closer to God, but the feeling is always that here we are closer to Him. When I am connected to Allah, I feel safer, always. Kosovo is a Muslim-majority country, and hundreds of miners in the state-owned lead, zinc and silver mine are observing Ramadan. Temperatures in the mine sometimes reach close to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Miners also have to endure extreme humidity. Femi Haridini is the shift chief. I call everyone, the management or the government, to improve our working conditions. We need better air here, we need clothes, shoes. If these and other conditions are improved, the miners will have a greater desire to work, and the work will be done much better than it is today. Trepshire employed more than 22,000 workers in the 1970s and 80s, and accounted for two-thirds of Kosovo's gross domestic product. Now, it employs just 3,000 in the mines and other facilities.

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