Thousands gather to mark end of Ramadan
Members of Regina Muslim community join in communal prayer of celebration
Thousands of people in prayer filled the University of Regina football field early Friday morning as the Muslim community gathered to celebrate the end of Ramadan.
“The crowd is getting larger and larger (each year),” said Sajjad Hussain, general secretary for the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan (IAOS), Regina Inc. While the final tally wasn’t available late Friday afternoon, he said an estimated 5,000 people turned out for the Regina gathering, with the communal prayer shortly after 8:30 a.m. Local dignitaries were also on hand.
The prayers mark the beginning of the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, in which Muslims exchange social visits and seek to strengthen bonds in the community. During this holiday, Muslims greet each other by saying “Eid Mubarak” or “Blessed Eid”.
According to an IAOS news release, Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break-of-dawn to sunset. In addition, Muslims increase giving to charity during this month.
Meanwhile in Saskatoon on Friday, some 10,000 Muslims, originally from more than 50 countries, joined together for one of the largest Eid al-Fitr gatherings of the Islamic community in that city.
Fatima Coovadia of the Saskatoon Human Rights Commission remembered when the entire Muslim congregation could fit into the mosque on Copland Crescent for Eid in 2002. Sixteen years later, the crowd celebrating Eid — and the Islamic community in Saskatoon — has become much larger.
“It’s great to see the growth — people from all over the world joining us in Saskatoon,” Coovadia said.
Mateen Raazi, a member of the IAOS in Saskatoon, said it was “delightful” to see such a large number of people involved.
“It is so nice ... to be able to contribute to the wider community and our well-being here in Saskatoon,” Raazi said.
This year, the community wants to do more to give back. The association hosted a food drive for the food bank at the prayer celebration, hoping to get at least one food item from every person in attendance.
Raazi said a food drive to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr was a perfect initiative.
“(Eid) is when we celebrate what we have committed to during the month of Ramadan ... it is a day of renewing our commitment to our community.”