'Mosque-mobile' makes praying easier in gridlocked Jakarta

Yahoo – AFP, Kiki Siregar, 5 Jul 2016

Men offering prayers at a "mobile mosque" outside a sports complex in 

Jakarta (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

As the call to prayer rang out across the Indonesian capital, Sutikno faced a dilemma -- the devout Muslim needed to set off through Jakarta's notorious traffic to pick up his wife but did not want to miss out on worshipping.

However for him and others juggling the demands of hectic, 21st century life and piety in the crowded capital of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, a solution has just pulled up.

The "mosque-mobile" started cruising through Jakarta in June as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan drew to a close, aiming to ensure Muslims did not miss out on prayers by setting up in busy places, such as near festivals and sports events.

Sutikno, a middle-aged office worker who like many Indonesians goes by one name, came across the van parked between a sports stadium and shopping malls, and it proved a godsend.

"I was supposed to go to a mosque that is quite far away but then I saw this one," he told AFP.

"I just parked my car and performed my prayers here. I can save time and go and pick up my wife faster."

The green and white van has been specially adapted to become a mobile place of worship. At prayer time, the sides of the vehicle open up and a small stage is extended, from which the imam preaches.

The "mosque-mobile" started cruising through Jakarta in June as the Islamic

holy month of Ramadan drew to a close (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Prayer rugs are rolled out in front of the van, with space for up to 100 people, and a handful can worship inside the vehicle. It also provides special robes for women and a tank of water for the faithful to ritually cleanse themselves before praying.

The mosque started operating in Jakarta with a team of four in the final week of Ramadan, a month of fasting and piety, but plans to continue afterwards.

The van offers its services between 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) and 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) for two prayer sessions, at a time traffic is bad as millions flood out of downtown areas and head back to satellite cities. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day.

During Ramadan, the crew running the Jakarta "mosque-mobile" also serve snacks to people stuck in gridlock when it is time to break their fast.

Overcrowded, traffic-choked cities

The van is run by the Archipelago Mosque Foundation, an organisation that sets up and maintains mosques, with funding provided by Adira Sharia, a group that provides Islamic-compliant financing for motor vehicles.

"We were concerned that there was a lack of places of worship at crowded spots such as music concerts, festivals and football games. Sometimes people intend to pray, but because there are no facilities, they skip it," said Hamzah Fatdri, director of the mosque foundation.

The Jakarta mosque-on-wheels has hit the streets after the foundation launched a mobile place of worship in the city of Bandung, southeast of the capital on the main island of Java.

The Bandung mosque proved a success, offering prayer sessions at 50 different locations in its first year of operation, and the foundation hopes the van in the capital -- which is slightly larger than the Bandung model -- can do even better.

The mobile mosque started operating in Jakarta with a team of four in the final 

week of Ramadan, but plans to continue afterwards (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Indonesia is already home to some 800,000 mosques, including a large number in Jakarta and other major cities.

But with many people stuck in gridlock at prayer time -- particularly during Ramadan -- and ad hoc festivals and sports events typically failing to provide facilities for praying, the foundation believes the "mobile-mosque" will be a great help.

It is the latest innovation to offer relief to residents of Indonesia's booming but overcrowded, traffic-choked cities, where hundreds of new vehicles are hitting the roads every day as the middle class rapidly expands due to strong economic growth.

Motorbike taxi-hailing apps that whisk passengers quickly through the gridlock have been a chief beneficiary, and have expanded their businesses into other areas such as food delivery and courier services.

Still, some worshippers were not immediately taken by the mosque-on-wheels.

"Maybe because this was a new experience, I felt a bit awkward and embarrassed to pray in an open, public space," student Mahtashal Harbi said after worshipping for the first time at the Jakarta van.

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, one of the biggest festivals of the Islamic calendar pic.twitter.com/T7ncopYlDu

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 5, 2016

Run on the baklava as Dutch Muslims celebrate Eid

DutchNews, July 5, 2016

Deposit photos: Turkish dessert
of baklava

School’s out, and it’s time for a sugarfest: Dutch Muslims began celebrating the end of Ramadan on Tuesday. 

Some school children had a day off for the Suikerfeest (literally, sugar feast in Dutch). But Dutch Muslims of Moroccan origin will be waiting until Wednesday, when moon is in the right phase over Morocco. 

According to public broadcaster NOS, a third of primary schools in Rotterdam were closed so that pupils could celebrate, while at other schools children could take time off on request. 

In some other countries the streets are full of Eid celebrations after a month of religious fasting, eating and drinking nothing when the sun is up. But in the Netherlands, it is more normal for practising Muslims to visit the mosque in the morning, and end the day with family, feast and presents.

Tambourine in hand, a Christian wakes up Acre's Muslims for Ramadan

Yahoo – AFP, Majeda El-Batsh,  June 21, 2016

Michel Ayoub (L), an Arab-Israeli Christian, carries out the role of a 'Musaharati',
the traditional figure who awakens Muslims for the 'Suhur', their pre-dawn meal
during the sacred fasting month of Ramadan (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

Acre (Israel) (AFP) - Michel Ayoub's holy racket begins each day at 2:00 am, when he steps into the cobbled streets of Acre's old city with tambourine in hand, awakening Muslims for Ramadan.

His role as the city's "mesaharati" is a traditional one during the sacred fasting month, but Ayoub is by no means a traditional holder of the position: He is Christian.

The 39-year-old Arab Israeli sees no contradiction in that, and neither do the Muslim residents of this ancient city in northwestern Israel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

"We are the same family," says Ayoub, who wears traditional Levantine dress as he meanders the alleyways, a keffiyeh draped over his shoulders, baggy sirwal pants held around his waist with an embroidered belt, a black-and-white turban tied around his head.

"There is only one God and there is no difference between Christians and Muslims."

His voice rings out as he chants, piercing the silence of the empty streets decorated with traditional colourful lamps for Ramadan.

Local Muslims gather for 'Suhur', their pre-dawn traditional meal during the sacred

 fasting month of Ramadan, in the northern Israeli port city of Acre (AFP 

Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

"You, sleeping ones, there is one eternal God," he chants.

Houses begin to light up one by one. Some stick their heads out of their windows to greet him and tell him they have heard the call, awakening them for the "suhur," the traditional Ramadan pre-dawn meal.

During the holy month, which began on June 5, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown, making the suhur an important meal before the long day ahead.

'We would be lost'

Acre's population of more than 50,000 includes Jews, Muslims, Christians and Baha'is.

It has been continuously inhabited since the Phoenician period, which began around 1500 BC.

It was the main port of the medieval Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and a major Ottoman walled city.

Napoleon tried to conquer the heavily fortified town in 1799 but was repelled by the Ottomans and a small British Royal Navy force.

People play a folk game called Al-siniya (tray) during the Muslim fasting month 

of Ramadan in Kirkuk in Iraq, June 7, 2016. Reuters/Ako Rasheed

The walled old city, complete with a well-preserved citadel, mosques and baths, is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Today it is part of Israel, which captured it in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war surrounding the state's creation.

About 28 percent of its population are Arab Israelis, who are Palestinians and their descendants who remained after the 1948 creation of Israel.

Most of the city's Arabs are Muslims, but a minority, like Ayoub, are Christians.

The mesaharati tradition had disappeared from Acre until Ayoub, who usually works in construction, revived it 13 years ago. He says it was his way to preserve his grandfather's heritage.

He says his grandfather, a fervent Catholic, listened to readings of the Quran every Friday during the main weekly Muslim prayers.

Partly for that reason, Ayoub says he grew up with the idea of coexistence, respect and knowledge of other religions.

By carrying on the mesaharati tradition, he says he was "only doing my duty by helping our Muslim brothers who endure hunger and thirst" during the fasting month.

Sabra Aker, 19, says she "grew up with Michel Ayoub's wake-up calls during Ramadan."

A woman packs vermicelli, a specialty eaten during the Muslim fasting month 

of Ramadan, at a factory in Kolkata, India, June 8, 2016. Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri

"If he didn't come one day, we would be lost," she says through the window of her home.

Safia Sawaid, 36, exits her home to ask if she can take a photo with Ayoub and her children.

"It's great to see someone so attached to our culture and our traditions," she says. "I hope that he will continue every year."

Ayoub may even be grooming a successor to ensure the tradition does not end with him.

Ahmed al-Rihawi, 12, accompanies him on his nighttime mission, wearing sirwal pants, a black vest and a turban.

"He is a promising mesaharati," Ayoub says. "He is very talented."

Related Article:

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Muslims mark start of Ramadan, many under cloud of war

Yahoo – AFP, June 6, 2016

Indonesian Muslims hold prayers to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan
at the Al Akbar mosque in Surabaya on June 5, 2016 (AFP Photo/Juni Kriswanto)

Beirut (AFP) - More than a billion Muslims observed the start of Ramadan on Monday but in the besieged cities of Syria and Iraq residents struggled to mark the holy month.

Islamic authorities announced the start of the fasting month with the sighting of the crescent moon in countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Marking the divine revelation received by Prophet Mohammed, the month sees Muslim faithful abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn have a second opportunity to eat and drink during suhur. The month is followed by the Eid al-Fitr festival.

But for many in Syria who have been accustomed to hardship after five years of war, this year's Ramadan was expected to be especially difficult, particularly in besieged cities and towns.

In Madaya, where some 40,000 people have been living under government siege for months, resident Mumina, 32, and her husband planned to break the fast using UN food handouts.

The package contain pulses and tuna cans but "there's no pasta, no meat, no dairy. We tried to plant some vegetables but the land isn't good for planting now," she said.

"There's barely any food in the markets and whatever we find is so expensive that we can't buy it," she said, planning a simple meal of beans for Monday night.

Shadi Matar, an activist from Daraya, also complained that residents would only feed on greens for iftar.

"We definitely have a lot of choices," he said trying to put a brave face on things.

"There's parsley, radishes, coriander, arugula, spinach, and sometimes we can find zucchini," he said. "But there are other people who don't even have these options."

An estimated 8,000 people live in Daraya which received on June 1 its first aid delivery since a regime siege began in 2012, but British charity Save the Children said it excluded desperately needed food.

Queuing for tomatoes

In the Iraqi city of Fallujah, father-of-six Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi also worried about how to provide food for his family during Ramadan.

Iraqi forces have tightened a siege around Fallujah as they press a major advance to retake the city from the Islamic State jihadist group.

An estimated 50,000 people are believed trapped inside, some being used as human shields by IS, and the families left behind are often those who could not afford to leave.

"You have to get up at 5:00 in the morning and stand in line forever to pay 5,000 dinars ($4.50) for a kilo of tomatoes," said Dulaimi, contacted by AFP inside Fallujah.

"I can't even go there myself, I have to send someone, because you need to have a long beard and a short dishdasha," he said, describing the attire of jihadists.

In conflict-hit Libya, residents spoke of a somber mood and complained of the high cost of food.

"There are power cuts and cash shortages," said bank employee Karima Mounir.

In some parts of the world, Muslims were prepared to mark Ramadan with extravagance, including in the wealthy Gulf monarchies.

Dubai's sail-shaped landmark Burj al-Arab hotel said it would offer "an array of delectable traditional delicacies" at iftar for 400 Emirati dirhams ($110) per person.

A Muslim woman reads the Quran following noon prayers on the first day of the

 holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, 

Monday, June 6, 2016. During Ramadan, the holiest month on Islamic calendar, 

Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. (AP Photo/

Tatan Syuflana)

'Bridges between communities'

In Indonesia, faithful spent the days leading up to Ramadan taking part in rituals, including visits to relatives' tombs and swims in springs infused with flowers.

The hardline Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) group meanwhile threatened to raid Indonesian nightspots that flout restrictions during Ramadan.

"Please respect the holiness of Ramadan," Ja'far Shodiq, the group's deputy chairman, told AFP. "The FPI is not against fun -- but sometimes fun can verge on immoral."

In China, the start of Ramadan was marked with the customary ban on civil servants, students and children in the mainly Muslim Xinjiang region taking part in the daytime fast.

Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and a month during which the faithful must devote themselves to piety and charity as well as compassion and generosity.

London's newly-elected Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan underlined this in an article published on the Guardian's website saying Ramadan "provides an opportunity to break bread and build bridges between communities".

US President Barack Obama also celebrated the start of Ramadan in a message paying tribute to Muslims in America and around the world.

But he also took a swipe at presidential candidate Donald Trump without naming him, saying: "We will continue to welcome immigrants and refugees into our nation, including those who are Muslim."

Trump has drawn controversy by calling for Muslims to be barred from entering the United States following a deadly shooting attack in San Bernardino, California in December.

Shiites in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere will begin observing Ramadan on Tuesday.

Indonesian Muslims hold prayers to mark the start of Ramadan in Surabaya on June 5 #Ramadan2016 pic.twitter.com/dRocY35h8i

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 6, 2016

TURKEY - The first day of the holy month of Ramadan around the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. By @ozannkosee #AFP pic.twitter.com/sIqSTIWofP

— Frédérique Geffard (@fgeffardAFP) June 6, 2016

Elhijab Presents Fresh, Modern Collections for Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2016

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, June 04, 2016

The designers of Aira Festive, Dauky and Elzatta are parading with the
models at the end of the fashion show. (Photo courtesy of Elhijab)

Jakarta. Indonesian Muslim wear is getting more simple and modern. Gone are the complicated frills and ruffles that tend to bulk up the wearer's physique, as well as the overused crystals and sequins that often astound beholders. In their place are clean-cut items that are tasteful, easy to wear and practical for everyday use.

Last Sunday (29/05), Elhijab, the company behind the Dauky, Elzatta and Aira Festive brands, presented their special pret-a-porter collections for Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2016 at the "Hijab for the World" fashion show at Jakarta Convention Center.

"We want to present our brands as the pride of Indonesia for the world, just like H&M for Sweden, Marks & Spencer for UK and Uniqlo for Japan," said Meta Kamelia Surya, head of marketing of Elhijab.

In the fashion show, brand Dauky showcased a collection themed "City of Harmony."

"We're inspired by London's streetwear for the collection," said Puspa Sekar Sari, Dauky's head fashion designer.

The collection is made of tailored culottes, palazzos, faux leather jackets and overcoats in warm, summery tones. Elzatta's scarves with simple, yet attractive geometric patterns complemented their modest looks.

"We want to cater for today's modern women with our simple and wearable pieces," said Puspa.

The same collection has also been presented on the previous day (28/05) at the Potter's Field Park in London during the "Indonesian Weekend" event.

"According to our representatives [in London], the British people adored our collection," said Elhijab's head of marketing, Meta.

Aira Festive, on the other hand, presented more mature and feminine looks in the fashion show. Their collection is made of plain and loose-fitted tunics in various hues and silhouettes. These tunics were combined with batik, tenun (handwoven traditional fabrics) and ikat (traditional tie-dye) sarongs and pareos for the fashion show.

"Tunics are usually very casual," said Aira Festive's head fashion designer Nina Natadipura, "But, we want to show that we can also make tunics look more classy and elegant by pairing them with Indonesian traditional fabrics."

Their collection also features chic evening gowns, adorned with lace and brocade, for formal functions.

Aira Festive's, Dauky's and Elzatta's collections are moderately priced between Rp 199,000 ($15) and Rp 600,000. They are available now at Elhijab's outlets in major cities in Indonesia.

For more information, visit www.elhijab.id.

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr in China

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-07-20

People celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region,
July 18. (Photo/Xinhua)

Muslims across China on Saturday celebrated Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Na Jinzhu arrived at the Najiahu Mosque early in the morning with his son and granddaughters.

"Ramadan is the most auspicious month in the year," said the 65-year-old man. "I took my granddaughters here so that they could learn about our religious traditions from an early age."

Ningxia is a major region for China's Hui Muslims, who account for 35.7% of the region's total population, or 2.36 million people.

Li Jianhua, Communist Party chief of Ningxia, conveyed festive greetings during a gathering with Muslims in the mosque with a history of 490 years.

A five-day holiday begins on Saturday in Ningxia. Highways and most scenic spots will be free of charge during the holiday.

In Beijing, roads were temporarily closed near the Niujie Mosque in downtown for a celebration of tens of thousands of Muslims.

Many people had their photos taken outside the mosque, including a lady surnamed Liu, who came from neighboring Hebei province especially for the occasion.

"The atmosphere is more festive here than in our hometown," she said.

In Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, senior officials shared iftar with Muslims for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr on Friday night.

Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of the region, and regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir attended the event with more than 200 religious followers.

Ramadan is a holy and auspicious month for Muslims when they can purify their hearts, strengthen their minds and contemplate the doctrine, Zhang said.

He said religious people and non-religious people in Xinjiang live in harmony and amity with each other, stand together safeguarding peace, unity, justice and dignity, and worked together to build a beautiful home.

He cited examples where Muslims offered help to others in need and cared for each other during this year's Ramadan.

Abduxikar Rehmutolla, an imam in Urumqi, said "the government helped us renovate the mosque and resolve some other problems," presenting a Muslim hat to Zhang to express thanks to the government.

Xinjiang, with some 24,000 mosques, is home to more than 13 million Muslims.

"I feel more humble after Ramadan," said Ma Jinfu, 63, who donated 100 yuan (about US$16) to the Shaanxi Great Mosque attended by Hui Muslims in Urumqi.

Not far away is the Hantengri Mosque, where Uygur Muslims go to worship.

After religious ceremonies, Muslims from the Hui ethnic group in white hats and Uygurs wearing colored hats exchanged blessings while leaving the sites.

Eid al-Fitr is also a day when Muslims commemorate their ancestors and mourn the dead.

In Oqar county of the Kirgiz autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu, Muradin Zulpuka whispered prayers from the Koran in front of his mother's tomb before scattering handfuls of rice and wheat.

BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY

While most Muslims in China are enjoying lavish feasts for Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, Salam Muhamet is traveling.

The photographer from the Kirgiz ethnic group is going to a wedding.

"Muslims don't eat during the daytime (during Ramadan), so they couldn't hold wedding ceremonies this month," he said. In China, feasts are an indispensable part of a wedding ceremony, as are photographs.

This year, Ramadan lasted from June 18 to July 17.

Muhamet didn't book any wedding photography jobs the entire month. "I will get busy as soon as Ramadan is over," he said. In the next week, he has four wedding ceremonies to attend.

As society develops, the way people celebrate the festival is changing.

When Ma Shaoxiong returned home Saturday, he found his grandson video chatting with his sister, who is in college in Shaanxi and unable to return for Eid al-Fitr.

The boy showed his sister the dishes on the table. "Wanna taste?" he asked, making faces to the smart phone.

"It is an occasion for family reunion," said Ma. "I would have missed my granddaughter, had there been no video chat."

Patamkhan Niyaz celebrated Eid al-Fitr in a new house, where children ran in the yard and adults enjoyed stewed mutton.

"This house is stronger than our adobe house, and it didn't cost much," she said.

Muslims mark end of Ramadan with Eid-al-Fitr festival

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)

Related Article:

New York's Empire State Building glows green for Eid

Bali airport reopens, thousands ready to take off

After being forced to close due to volcanic eruptions for a second time, Bali's Ngurah Rai airport is allowing planes to take off again. Thousands of people hope it means they'll be able to get home soon.

Deutsche Welle, 12 July 2015

After a seven-hour closure, Indonesian authorities reopened Bali's airport after the danger posed by ash spewing from Mount Raung in neighboring East Java had passed.

The volcanic eruption caused travel chaos not only at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali, but several other regional airports as the island is extremely popular with international tourists, while at the same time locals are traveling ahead of Eid celebrations to mark the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan next week.

Mount Raung has been exhibiting mild eruptions since June, but the latest more serious clouds of ash created by the volcano forced runway shutdowns in Bali, Lombok, Jember and Banyuwagi, with the latter remaining closed all of Sunday. The Bali airport finally reopened being shut from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This is the second time this week that volcanic activity forced the Ngurah Rai airport to halt all travel, stranding thousands of vacation goers, sometimes for days.

es/sms (AFP, dpa)

Rohingya hope for peaceful Ramadan in Indonesia

Yahoo – AFP, Nurdin Hasan, 18 June 2015

Rohingya women are seen standing at a confinement area in Kuala Cangkoi,

Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Muhammad Yunus came ashore in Indonesia by accident after a harrowing boat journey -- but he and hundreds of other Rohingya migrants are delighted to be spending Islam's holiest month in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

The boat people in Aceh province are among thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who arrived in countries across Southeast Asia in May after a Thai crackdown threw the people-smuggling trade into chaos and sparked a regional crisis.

Yunus had hoped to reach relatively affluent Malaysia, like many of the region's migrants, but after a months-long voyage was dumped in shallow waters off Aceh.

A Rohingya migrant is seen sweeping

 the floor of a shelter in Kuala Cangkoi,

 Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/

Chaideer Mahyuddin)

He is nevertheless relieved to have washed up in Indonesia -- particularly in time for Ramadan, which starts on Thursday -- and be far from his native Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country where the Rohingya have long faced discrimination and are denied citizenship.

"Praise be to God, we were saved and brought to a Muslim country," said the 35-year-old religious education teacher, who was rescued off the coast of Aceh on May 10 with around 580 other migrants.

"The people here are very kind and have helped us, they see Rohingya refugees as their brothers."

Others, such as 16-year-old Muhammad Shorif, who fled a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh where he had lived with his family, echoed his sentiments.

"I miss mother's cooking in the refugee camp," he said, but added he was "very happy" to be in Aceh for Ramadan, when Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset.

Ramadan will be a busy time for Yunus, who left Myanmar in 2012 when his Islamic school was destroyed during fierce communal violence between local Buddhists and Rohingya, as he acts as prayer leader for the Rohingya in the camps.

He said that at the time he fled, it was impossible for Muslims to worship in peace, with mosques being razed to the ground and security forces stopping them from performing prayers.

Yunus spent several years at a camp in Bangladesh but got on a boat earlier this year in an attempt to escape the pitiful conditions there.

Rohingya migrant is seen walking past

 the UNHCR flag at a confinement area

 in Kuala Cangkoi, Indonesia's Aceh

 province (AFP Photo/Chaideer

Mahyuddin)

Acehnese also suffered

A resident of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state where persecuted Rohingya have fled in droves, told AFP there were no restrictions imposed by local authorities this year during Ramadan, and local Muslims could worship in mosques.

Nevertheless, the situation has long been tense, with many Muslims in the city living segregated under armed guard.

It is a starkly different picture in Aceh, where people have flocked to give donations of food and money to the new arrivals and are planning to bring them delicacies to break fast during Ramadan, which ends with the Muslim holiday of Eid.

Many in the area sympathise with the Rohingya's plight because of their own painful recent history -- Aceh was left in ruins by a decades-long separatist conflict, which only ended when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the province, leaving more than 170,000 dead in Indonesia alone.

"During the conflict in the past, we endured suffering. But there are Rohingya who have had worse experiences than people in Aceh," said Syamsuddin Muhammad, a 55-year-old fisherman who came to the migrant camp to donate money collected by his village.

The Acehnese are also trying to improve the migrants' living conditions.

At first they were given shelter in a sports centre before being moved to shabby buildings in the fishing town of Kuala Cangkoi, and this week they were taken to a village inland, where they are being housed in better buildings.

A Rohingya migrant plays with a child at a shelter in Kuala Cangkoi,

Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Since coming ashore emaciated and filthy after months at sea, many of the migrants appear to be recovering swiftly.

Images of one desperate group in a green wooden boat off Thailand shocked the world -- but AFP tracked some of them down last month at a camp in another part of Aceh, where they had eventually arrived, and found many relaxed, dressed in fresh clothes and less gaunt and emaciated.

Despite the migrants' immediate relief at having made it to a welcoming nation, they are likely to be living in limbo for years as few countries are willing to resettle migrants, including those who have genuine refugee status, and there are a huge number waiting for resettlement.

Many end up living a half-life in the shadows, eking out a living in the informal sector, far from their loved ones.

Even Yunus, who is happy to have ended up in Aceh, longs for his family back in Myanmar during Islam's holiest month.

"I miss my wife and children," he said, struggling to hold back tears.