USA: Ramadan brought to a close with Eid-al-Fitr celebration

---

The last 10 days of Ramadan are particularly important, with faithful devoting themselves "to focus on spiritual fulfillment and reaching God." 

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Oregonian/OregonLive
By Kristyna Wentz-Graff | July 06, 2016

Area Muslims celebrated Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, at the Portland Rizwan Mosque on Wednesday.

Ramadan is a monthlong period of fasting held each year, in which Muslims focus on their relationship with God and others. The date varies from year to year, based on the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan began in the U.S. on the evening of June 5 and ended on the evening of July 5.

"It's really about community and bringing people together," says Harris Zafar, director of outreach for the mosque, a local chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Zafar said Ramadan, a period of fasting and reflection, is "not just an abstention from food and drink. It's an abstention from bad behavior" and to "reflect on God's blessings that we gained this month."

"This year it's also a little somber considering what's happened over the last week or two of the month of Ramadan," noted Zafar, referring to attacks in Istanbul, Bangladesh, Baghdad and most recently, near Prophet Muhammad's tomb in Saudi Arabia.

He said the last 10 days of Ramadan are particularly important, with faithful devoting themselves "to focus on spiritual fulfillment and reaching God."

"And to know in these last 10 days, how many lives were taken by people that are calling themselves Muslims. ... it has been gut-wrenching for us to fathom how that would happen in the month of Ramadan," Zafar said.

He wondered aloud, "Where's the extensive outrage from the Western world? Where are the Turkish flags or Saudi flags or the Iraqi flags saying, 'I stand with?'"

"It hurts. And it feeds the narrative that ISIS feeds on," he adds.

"ISIS is a war (against) humanity. Until we realize this, that we are in this together, problems are just going to keep perpetuating."

-- Kristyna Wentz-Graff




Read original post here: USA: Ramadan brought to a close with Eid-al-Fitr celebration


This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Times of Ahmad. Times of Ahmad is not an organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, nor in any way associated with any of the community's official websites.