kosova miners break the ramzan fast after 2,600 ft underground Kosovo is a Muslim majority country and hundreds of miners in the state owned lead zinc and silver mine are observing ramzan take a look these miners in Kosovo are breaking their Ramadan fast over 2,600 ft underground after a long and sweltering shift down the Trap sh mind in Stant in Northern Kosovo em and s checks the clock so he knows when the Sun is setting at the surface and whether the time has come to eat their IFA 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 my offer here I am closer to God and this is normal we are always closer to God but the feeling is always that he we are closer to him when I'm 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° F miners also have to endure extreme humidity FEI harini is the shift Chief I call everyone the management or the government to improve our working [Music] 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 trure employed more than 22,000 workers in the 1970s and 80s and accounted for 2/3 of kosovo's gross domestic product now it employs just 3,000 in the mines and other facilities