VARIOUS: Muslims across the Middle East celebrate Eid
- 00:00:42
- ITN Source
VARIOUS: Muslims across the Middle East celebrate Eid
Muslims across the Middle East have begun praying for Eid on Saturday (December 30). During Eid, Muslims sacrifice animals which have been deemed as Halaal, or fit for sacrifice. They not only eat the meat themselves, they distribute it amongst their neighbours, relatives and the poor. Nowadays, in addition to sacrificing a sheep in memory of Allah's intervention in the story of Ibrahim and Ismail, Muslims' sacrifices can also be measured in terms of 'sheep units', in which a cow or a camel is worth several sheep. The charitable instincts of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid ul-Adha by the concerted community effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food. Eid ul-Adha lasts four days, with prayers being taken on the first day. A traditional Egyptian food called "Fatah", consisting of bread, rice and meat, with tomato sauce, is eaten. Over the remaining three days, relatives and friends visit each other's homes. Eid ul-Adha is the second in the series of Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail for Allah. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja of the Islamic Calendar, after Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Afghan President Hamid Karzai shunned security concerns to make a surprise visit a crowded Kabul mosque where he hugged worshippers and gave money to children to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. He told worshippers: "To the people of Afghanistan and all Muslims in the world, on this precious day, I wish God Almighty will give us happiness, prosperity and better security for the people of Afghanistan." In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended morning prayers and later told reporters he was hoping Israel will release Palestinian prisoners ahead of the feast. "Yes, we have discussed with Mr. Olmert the issue of prisoner release before Eid and he promised to study this issue and release a number of prisoners as a symbolic gesture before the holiday but unfortunately, this never happened and we hope that he will abide by his promises after the holiday," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah. On Friday (December 29) Israeli political sources said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has dropped the idea of freeing Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to Abbas ahead of a Muslim holiday. Worshippers also said prayers to mark the Eid festival at mosques in Lebanon.
ITN Source | December 30, 2006
