Local Muslims usher in Eid al-Fitr festival while helping Syrians, as Ramadan ends
KITCHENER — Mohamed Bendame handed out boxes, envelopes and delicately wrapped gifts to a group of people at the Kitchener Masjid on Friday afternoon.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends Monday and Bendame wanted to give out the last of the mosque’s gift baskets to new Syrian refugee families in the region.
Each basket had hygiene products, food, and dates, backpacks for school kids, diapers, and gift cards to use at local halal grocery stores.
“We give them to families who can’t afford food to break their fasts this month,” he said.
Over the past several weeks, local Muslims have given away about 40 of these baskets to Syrian families to help them get through the month.
“It’s a time of the year when we’re fasting and we really think about those less fortunate than us,” Bendame said.
For many Muslims, Ramadan is a time of year to ramp up charitable giving. Muslims fast from dawn until dusk during the month. It is also a time for prayer and reflection.
It ends this weekend with a big festival known as Eid al-Fitr, when Muslims will gather to celebrate the end of the month of fasting with prayers, food and family.
For several years, Bendame said members of the local mosque have always distributed money to low-income Muslim families during Ramadan
But the charitable giving took on a new dimension with the arrival of Syrian refugees.
They started to collect items like clothing and diapers as well as food.
“We try to get the things that they will need the most,” Bendame said.
The hygiene kits, diapers and boxes of food are donated by nonprofits.
The local mosque raised $3,000 this month, which was also used to buy gift cards for halal grocery stores.
For many new Syrian refugees, this was their first Ramadan in Canada.
“It’s been a great feeling,” said Muhammed Emir Hellak.
His family was sponsored by a local church group and they arrived in Canada in the autumn nine months ago.
He said he was moved by how welcoming non-Muslim Canadians have been during this especially holy month for Muslims.
For others, it is a bittersweet time of year
Because many new refugees have family members who are still in war-torn Syria.
That’s how Khaled Alali feels. His parents and siblings are still in Syria and this will be his first Eid al-Fitr without them.
He said through a translator that it is sad to celebrate without them, but he is happy to be here in a supportive community.
“Eid is a special time of year, so it can be quite hard with loved ones far away,” Bendame added.
He still had a few gift boxes left once he distributed items to five different families on Friday.
He said he will find some more families to give them to before Ramadan ends.
The Eid al-Fitr festival is at the Kitchener Aud on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.