VARIOUS: Muslims around the world celebrate the first day of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan

Record ID: 423378

  • Title: VARIOUS: Muslims around the world celebrate the first day of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan
  • Date: 25th October 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) CHIEF CLERIC OF JAMA MASJID, SYED AHMED BUKHARI, SAYING: "I think that on this, a two-day or three-day seminar should be held so that the differences and confusion that is caused can be done away with. To this end, I want to call a seminar of high clerics"
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA559IHY0OZSHLNE7WHJTU1SEIP
  • Story Text: Eid celebrations were in full swing in New Delhi on Tuesday (October 24), with thousands of worshippers packed inside the Jama Masjid (mosque) for prayer services.
    As the timing of the event depends on the sighting of the new Moon, Muslims in other parts of India had either already celebrated on Monday (October 23) or will be celebrating on Wednesday (October 25).
    Muslims believe Eid is a time of spiritual devotion and verbal expressions of love, as well as a time of religious unity when people from all religions and nationalities come together to share greetings.
    The head cleric of the Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said community leaders should discuss removing confusion about the celebrations.
    "I think that on this, a two-day or three-day seminar should be held so that the differences and confusion that is caused, can be done away with. To end this, i want to call a seminar of high clerics," Bukhari said.
    Egyptians marked the end of Ramadan with early morning prayers on the first day of the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday (Fast Breaking Holiday).
    Entire families arrived at mosques for early morning prayers in their best clothes. Outside the Mustafa Mahmoud mosque in Cairo, vendors sold candyfloss and balloons, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
    The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, led the crowd of several thousand worshippers at the mosque in Salat al-Eid prayers.
    In Egypt, Muslims eat a special cookie traditionally filled with dates and children receive gifts of mostly clothes.
    It is also traditional for Muslims to visit the graves of their relatives, where they leave offerings of food as charity for poor people.
    Government offices and banks are closed for the three day holiday
    Somalis in the capital, Mogadishu celebrated the end of Ramadan on Tuesday (October 24).
    Worshippers flocked to the main Jamia mosque, where officials of the Islamic Courts arrived in large numbers.
    The Islamic Courts have brought peace to the streets of Mogadishu for the first time in decades.
    But while Mogadishu remains peaceful, analysts fear a stand-off between the Islamic Courts and the Interim government could lead to all-out war in the region.
    Ethiopia, an ally of the Interim government, announced on Tuesday that the two countries were technically at war.
    While residents of Mogadishu enjoyed a very different Eid to those experienced after the overthrow of dictator Saied Barre in 1991 brought a decade of anarchy and violence to the country, officials of Somalia's Islamic courts took the opportunity of Eid prayers to ask young people to prepare to defend their country and religion against Ethiopia.
    The Islamic Courts' highest official accused the outside world of threatening the Islamic faith and Muslims the world over in the name of freedom and democracy.
    "Foreign countries are saying there is freedom of religion in the world. But what is happening now is not freedom of religion, it is a kind of threatening of the Muslim world," said executive chairman of the Islamic Courts, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, during prayers.
    U.S. forces stationed at Bagram airbase north of the Afghan capital of Kabul marked the Muslim Eid festival along with their Afghan colleagues on Tuesday (October 24).
    It was celebrated at the military base with traditional Afghan food and dance.
    Meanwhile, the Taliban Fugitive Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has used the holiest Muslim holiday of the year to warn that his men will intensify their fighting in Afghanistan to "surprising" levels to drive out foreign forces.
    In a lengthy message to Afghans for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, Omar also urged NATO to withdraw its almost 20,000 troops and stop sacrificing soldiers for the United States, adding the nation stood with him.
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