Hawaii Muslims Mark Eid Ul-Fitr (Festival Of Fast Breaking) With Festivities And Prayers
On Wednesday, October 1, 2008, the Muslim community in Hawaii will celebrate the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan with communal prayers at the Manoa Park starting at 8:45am (directions to the park & Eid program are available at www.iio.org). Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drinks and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset.
The prayers themselves are quite visual, with worshipers arranged in neat rows and bowing in prayer in unison. The prayer marks the beginning of the Eid ul- Fitr (EED-al-FITTER), in which Muslims exchange social visits and seek to strengthen bonds of brotherhood in the community. During this holiday, Muslims greet each other by saying “Eid Mubarak” (EED-moo-BAR-ak), meaning ”blessed Eid,” and “taqabbalallah ta’atakum,” or “may God accept your deeds”. Eid ul-Fitr is the first of the two major Muslim holidays. The second holiday, Eid ul-Adha, comes at the end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
There are about 3500 Muslims in Hawaii, about 10 million in America and over 1.3 billion worldwide. Muslims in Hawaii will commemorate this occasion with an early Morning Prayer service starting at 8:45am followed by a community breakfast, festivities and lunch. In keeping with the tradition of Eid, Hawaii Muslims will dress up in new or special clothes, visit friends and relatives, hold Eid gatherings or parties, and give gifts to their children. Muslims also greet each other by saying Eid Mubarak “blessed Eid,”
For more information, contact Hakim Ouansafi at (808) 478-7788 or via e-mail.
Because this is a religious service, reporters and photographers of both sexes should dress modestly. Photographers should arrive early to get into position for the best shots. Photographers are also advised not to step directly in front of worshipers and to seek permission for close-up shots. Shots of shoes removed for prayer, and rear-angle shots of prostrating worshipers, are considered inappropriate and cliché.
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