Alley 157 is home to the largest Muslim community among the 16 dioceses in Ho Chi Minh City with about 3.000 people. According to Mr. Haji Kim So, 73 years old, archbishop, Head of the Anwar Diocese Administration Board, the majority of people in the neighborhood are Cham people from An Giang who migrated to Saigon in the 1960s.
Here, a small Muslim market, is busiest during the fasting month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Muslim lunar calendar, also known as the fasting month. During the holy month, Muslims are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke, and even spit out too much saliva and not swallow it all... but this only applies during the day from sunrise. After sunset, believers can fast and eat normally.
This year the festival starts on March 11 and lasts a month. During the month of Ramadan, people in the alley and Muslims from other places also come here to buy Halal food (food allowed to eat according to Islamic teachings).
