They have been fasting for 28 days without interruption. They work, go to university or high school, and live as they do every day, but without eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. For practicing Muslims, and sometimes even for less devoted ones, Ramadan is an important and unique spiritual time of the year. It's a month that impacts their entire life, including their professional environment. And yet, many of them are reluctant to make their practice known in the workplace, particularly in intellectual circles and among upper occupational categories. "I've always been apprehensive about talking about my Ramadan observance," said Amir (who declined to give his last name, as did all those mentioned by their first name), a 28-year-old doctor in the Paris region.

The young man described it as a "blessed" month, which he experiences with joy every year, during which he is "more devoted than usual" and "adapts his daily routine to religious moments," but which sometimes becomes a headache at work. He said it's not the obligation not to eat or drink all day that causes him problems. It's the social aspect that can sometimes be awkward: Amir doesn't want to have to explain himself. For a long time, I was afraid it would be misunderstood," he said. "This experience is my own. And I feel like colleagues are worried by expressions of religiosity."

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