JEDDAH, 17 December — The Kingdom yesterday joined Muslims around the world in celebrating Eid Al-Fitr ending 30 days of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
Special prayers were held at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah and in mosques and open places throughout the country with preachers calling on Muslims to stand up to enemy attempts to undermine Islam and to respond to the suffering of the Palestinian people. The preachers also underlined that the security, dignity and strength of the nation rest solely in a return to the true principles of the religion.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd joined hundreds of thousands of worshipers including visiting leaders from Muslim countries and senior Saudi officials to perform Eid prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Worshipers filled the mosque complex in the early hours of the day and many had to pray standing along the streets leading to the Haram.
Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, performed Eid prayers at Imam Turki ibn Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
Eid Al-Fitr prayers were also offered in 20 open grounds and in 350 mosques in different parts of the capital city.
The Deira Eid Ground was full to its capacity with over 30,000 worshipers of different nationalities attending.
The king later received well-wishers at Al-Safa Palace in an audience attended by Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.
Imam of the Grand Mosque Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Subayil who led the prayers warned against extremism in the faith saying Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance.
“Islam is the religion of moderation, tolerance and equity. It is free of any deviation and has nothing to do with those who stray from the right path whether through negligence or excesses.”
He said perversions by Muslim individuals or sects which continue to afflict the Ummah since the early days of Islam is the result of religious extremism. It is also the result of people exceeding the limits set by Islam and of their failure to properly understand and comprehend its teachings.
“Ideological deviation has been the main cause of discord and disunity among Muslims throughout history. It is this ideological deviation which planted the seeds of discord among Muslim leaders and people. It is only by returning to the true Islam that the nation can unite and become strong and secure.”
Al-Subayil called for unity and cooperation among Muslims countries and urged them to follow Allah’s guidance in fighting the enemies of Islam.
He exhorted Arab and Muslim journalists to “avoid subservience to the enemies of Islam and not to be alienated by them.” He called on them to comply with Islamic principles and recommendations while delivering news to the nation. He said Muslim media do not have to follow in the footsteps of the enemies of Islam.
In Madinah, Abdul Bari Al-Thubaiti, imam of the Prophet’s Mosque, called for the liberation of Palestine from the grip of Israeli occupation forces. He described the killing and persecution of Palestinians and demolition of their homes as a crime rejected by religion. He said the international law remains unjust to Arab and Muslim causes.
“Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is in our hearts. The Israeli aggression, which is being met courageously by the people of Palestine armed only with stones and sticks, make us recall the international conventions and accords hostile and unjust toward our causes. This is obvious for everybody to see. It is the duty of the Muslim nation to help and provide support to the people of Palestine to liberate their land,” the Madinah imam told the Eid congregation.
He called on Muslims to make Eid an occasion of compassion and mercy by exchanging visits, removing misunderstandings or grudges.
Leading the Eid prayers in Riyadh, the Grand Mufti and Head of the Senior Ulema Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, called for closer unity among Muslims and advised them not to be misled by the antagonistic media propaganda.
“The Almighty Allah has warned us against the plots being hatched by our enemies who are fighting this religion, its values and virtues under the guise of fighting terrorism on the one hand and protecting human rights on the other. They are lying and their intention is to inflict harm on believers.”
He pointed out that Islam does not support terrorism since it is a religion of peace and mercy and would never encourage terrorism. “When we hear about combating terrorism we find that terrorism is being practiced against Muslims. The atrocities being committed against our brethren in Palestine — massacres, illegal detentions, the razing of homes and destruction of property — are terrorism pure and simple. It is the most ugly form of terrorism. It is a crushing war and hegemony against the Ummah and yet they talk about fighting terrorism,” Al-Sheikh said.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Sheikh Muhammad Abdel Fattah Ismail urged worshipers in Abu Dhabi to refrain from lavish Eid celebrations.
Instead, he asked believers to reflect on Palestinian suffering after nearly 15 months of violence. “Do not exaggerate your Eid Al-Fitr celebrations, and keep in mind the suffering of your Palestinian brothers, crushed by the Israeli war machine.”
On the eve of Eid Al-Fitr the Kingdom appealed to the international community to end the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. In a joint message marking the Eid, King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah also called on Israel to quit occupied Arab lands and to give the Palestinian people their right to set up their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd and his deputy Prince Saud ibn Naif joined hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the region to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr with traditional fervor. Eid prayers were offered at several prayer sites and mosques across the region immediately after sunrise.
The governor and his deputy joined people in Eid prayers at a special prayer site in Dammam. They joined hundreds of Muslims in prayers for the peace and prosperity of the Ummah and the liberation of Al-Quds.
Eid prayers were offered at several other mosques and prayer grounds in Dammam, Alkhobar, Thuqba, Bayuoni, Jubail, Ahsa, Khafji, Qatif and Sihat. There was light drizzle during Eid prayers in some of these cities.
Later in the evening, businessmen, senior citizen and high-ranking officials called on Prince Muhammad and Prince Naif at the royal palace to offer Eid greetings.
At the prayer grounds, people of different nationalities put behind regional, linguistic and ethnic barriers and congratulated each other.
In Riyadh, the Eid celebrations are marked this year by unusual offerings by shopping outlets and amusement centers in the form of discounts, gifts and raffle draws. An overnight rush for Eid purchases was reported with some of the capital’s major shopping centers reporting brisk sales.
Several city stores were seen decorated with colorful buntings, banners, footlights and complementary slogans to lure customers.
Hotels in the city, too, have pitched in with special Eid offerings. A clown giving away toys to the kids during the three days of Eid will be the main attraction at the local Marriot Hotel, which will celebrate the Eid with a food-and-fun program.
All commercial banks in the city will remain closed throughout the week.
A number of events have been lined up for children for the next three days. A spectacular fireworks show held at Malaz stadium and folk dances at Qasr Al-Hukum were the main attractions last night. This is in addition to a motorcycle racing competition for under-12 organized at King Abdul Aziz Historical Center.
A rainfall immediately after the prayers, however, hampered some of the festive programs for children.
There was not much activity in the Eastern Province during the day hours, as most people preferred to celebrate Eid with their family. But by evening, all roads that led to beaches and amusement centers became heavily congested. Despite a considerable drop in temperature, there was big rush at the Half Moon Beach area, which has the look of a tent city. Hundreds of families camped there with their family members. There are many camps occupied by people from Riyadh, Kuwait and other adjoining areas.
The Dammam and Alkhobar Corniche were among other spots with huge concentrations of visitors. This year the newly developed Alkhobar Corniche was a particular attraction. Similarly, Marjan Island in Dammam was packed with people, mainly families. The municipality had made special arrangements for holiday-makers at these spots.
Coast Guard and Civil Defense personnel kept continuous vigil of the beach side as well as other important places in the twin cities.
By evening a few shops had opened for business, but all the shopping malls were open with special Eid programs. Some of them organized competitions and offered door prizes. Hotels Gulf Meridien in Alkhobar, Sheraton Towers in Dammam and Dhahran International in Dhahran are also offering special packages and programs for Eid.
Fireworks, which are a special feature of Eid celebrations in the region, will start from Tuesday evening at Dammam and Alkhobar corniches.
— With inputs by
Abdul Wahab Bashir in Jeddah, Saeed Haider in Dammam and Ghazanfar Ali Khan in Riyadh
