Today in Canada, the first day of Ramadan, the month of fasting, the fourth pillar of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims fast during this holy month from dawn until sunset, the time to break the fast with family members, relatives, and friends.

Jamal's wish, residing in Vancouver, Canada's pearl on the Pacific coast, is one of the 1.8 million Muslims in the land of the maple leaf.

Jamal wandered the aisles of a grocery store in her city to buy supplies for iftar.

During Ramadan, Jamal's cooking talents blossom. "It is the only time I care about cooking

And in Ramadan, food stores record a significant increase in their sales. "Double the business for us, and double the work effort as well," says Mohamed Ali Muhidli, manager of a grocery store in Vancouver.

But this enthusiasm hides other feelings. Thousands of miles away, the war continues in the Gaza Strip after the failure of negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a truce before Ramadan began.

"It is very difficult to celebrate with joy and good mood," says Dihya Belhabib, a Vancouver resident, in an interview with Radio Canada.

"There is still this feeling of guilt when we celebrate, there is a feeling of sadness, frustration, and bitterness," adds Belhabib, who works as a researcher in the field of marine fisheries.

The month of fasting begins while diseases and malnutrition have claimed the lives of dozens of people in the Gaza Strip, where famine threatens 2.2 million of the Palestinian population suffering from more than five months of war, out of a total population of 2.4 million, according to the United Nations.

Ramadan is also an opportunity for Muslims to multiply acts of charity, as during it believers give Zakat al-Fitr.

Belhabib wants to seize the opportunity of this special month for her to invite all Canadians to donate.

"There are many people in need, whether in Canada or abroad, donate to the people of Gaza, donate to humanitarian organizations," says Belhabib appealing to Canadians.

Extend a helping hand to a person on the street who has no shelter, buy food for these people, this is how we can help.