The Muslim
community around the world has begun to mark the end of Ramadan. After a month
of fasting, followers of Islam will now start celebrating the festival of
Eid-al-Fitr - not all, however, on the same day.
Deutsche Welle, 17 July 2015
For the
past month, some 1.5 billion devotees have fasted from dawn to sunset every
day, marking the month in which they believe the Quran was sent down to the
lowest heaven, where it was prepared for Gabriel to later reveal to the Islamic
Prophet Muhammed. Many Muslims regard the fast as a means of creating astronger bond with their religion.
Due to
Islam's 12-month lunar calendar, however, not all Muslims will begin the
celebrations of Eid on the same day. The sighting of the new, crescent moon
ends Ramadan, and the start of Eid must be declared by sunset; some countries
still observe the tradition that this new moon be observed with the naked eye,
meaning they tend to be one day late.
 |
| Some 1.5 billion Muslims around the world have fasted for the last month |
Festivities
will therefore have a staggered start across Friday and Saturday, as Muslim
communities rely on different methods of confirming the end of Ramadan.
'New
beginning'
Whether
beginning on Friday or Saturday, the world's Islamic community will now revel
in three days of celebrations to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid, also known among
other names as the Feast of Breaking the Fast or the Sugar Feast, brings
together Muslim families over gifts and decadent meals.
In a
statement released late on Thursday, US President Barack Obama offered his
wishes to Muslims around the globe as they prepared to break their fast.
"While
Eid marks the end of Ramadan, it marks a new beginning for each individual - a
reason to celebrate and express gratitude on this holiday," Obama said.
The
president also made reference to New York City's recent decision to include Eid
al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as public school holidays, describing the decision as "acknowledgement
of the great diversity and inclusiveness that adds to the richness of our
nation."
German
President Joachim Gauck, himself a former pastor, used the occasion to appeal
for religious unity.
"If we
let ourselves be driven by a wish for respectful, peaceful coexistence, we'll
secure a good, collective future," Gauck said. Germany's Central Council
of Muslims said it was happy to have observed many non-Muslims in Germany
joining in the late-night fast-breaking celebrations which take place during
Ramadan.
Heatwave
during fasting
 |
Many
communities turn to Mecca to
determine the end of Ramadan
|
Since
beginning Ramadan on June 18, Muslims, especially in the Northern Hemisphere,
faced a particularly grueling month of fasting this year, with temperatures
reaching as high as 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Germany,
taking the meaning of Ramadan - "hot month" - to the very extremes.
There are
of course exemptions to fasting during Ramadan, which include menstruating or
pregnant women, the sick, the young and the elderly. Doctors and public health
organizations this year issued extra warnings to fasting Muslims across Europe,
reminding families of the dangers of dehydration, particularly among the young
and elderly - sentiments which were widely supported by Muslim councils and
leaders.
Temperatures
in Europe were nothing, however, compared to those in the Middle East, which
saw highs of 48 degrees Celsius in Iraq. Military and civilian aid
organizations in Pakistan set up dozens of temporary camps to care for victims
of dehydration, heatstroke and circulatory collapse as temperatures soared to
45 degrees Celsius in the shade.
ksb/msh (AFP, dpa)
 |
The Empire
State Building glows green on July 17, 2015 in New York City to
celebrate the
Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of Ramadan (AFP
Photo/Brigitte Dusseau)
|
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