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TODAY o December 26, 2000
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Islamic holiday stirs immigrants' hearts
Saeed Ahmed - Staff
Tuesday, December 26, 2000
When Joynul Abedin observes the Islamic holiday of Eid Al Fitr on Wednesday,
it will be a far cry from last year's three-day celebration with friends and
neighbors in his hometown of Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Instead of festivities marked by new clothes and gifts for his children,
alms-giving to the needy and joyful visits from far-flung relatives, Abedin
will bring in Eid --- the feast that follows the end of Ramadan, a monthlong
observance in which Muslims abstain from food, drinks and other sensual
pleasures from dawn to dusk --- in a much more subdued way this year.
He will join approximately 5,000 other Muslims in special Eid prayers at the
Al-Farooq mosque Wednesday morning and then begin his eight-hour shift at a
fast-food outlet in Midtown Atlanta.
"In Sylhet, you are given three days off for Eid," said the 41- year-old Abedin.
"Here, it's simple: I don't work, I don't get paid."
There are an estimated 30,000 immigrant Muslims in metro Atlanta, and for
many, if not most of them, Eid will be an equally subdued affair --- a quiet
celebration after 30 days of self-denial and purification amid the extravagant
consumption promoted in the American holiday season.
"If you're fortunate enough to have other family members in Atlanta, then the
celebratory atmosphere of Eid comes close to what you have back home," said
Khalid Siddiq, a Pakistani physician who has lived in Atlanta for the last 23
years. "But even then, you miss the sight of seeing a whole city engulfed in a
festive mood."
This desire for a festive atmosphere may be why many Muslims are
particularly excited about Eid this year. The festival falls in the same week as
Christmas and Hanukkah --- something that occurs only once in 33 years,
because the Muslim calendar is lunar and shifts about 11 days a year.
The overlap has let many Muslims celebrate along with non-Muslim
co-workers, exchanging gifts and, in some cases, allaying persistent questions
their children ask about why they can't have a tree and lights.
"It's easier for people to understand the festival when it blends with the other
holidays like this," said Siddiq.
But Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council of American- Islamic
Relations, says that such "substitutions" should be discouraged.
"Eid has its own beauty and its own traditions," said Hooper. "Instead of trying
to ride the coattails of another festival, our challenge should be to ensure that
these traditions are passed on to our young ones."
With more than 6 million Muslims nationwide, Eid is gradually gaining
mainstream recognition in the United States.
Employers are much more likely to give Muslim workers time off to celebrate
traditions than they were several years ago. And while it's not a holiday with a
lot of attached merchandising, Eid gifts and cards have begun to appear,
especially on the Internet.
For the past four years, the White House has marked the festival by greeting
Muslim leaders.
And earlier this year, followers of the faith learned they were getting a true
stamp of approval --- literally --- as the U.S. Postal Service announced plans
to issue a stamp next fall in honor of the festival.
"For a religion that, in this country, is most often falsely associated with
terrorism and mistreatment of women, Eid is our one shot at shattering the
stereotype," said Ahmad Raseq, a Jordanian- American engineer.
Raseq says his family uses the opportunity to invite their Inman Park
neighbors for Eid meals and to discuss the commonalities in their respective
faiths.
Abedin, whose first Eid in Atlanta will be a truncated version of the ones he is
used to in Bangladesh, said he is still looking forward to the celebration.
"I may miss the festivities of home, but standing shoulder to shoulder with
fellow Muslims from around the world at the Al-Farooq mosque, I will see
various nationalities come together like a rainbow of races just as Islam
envisioned," he said. "So I think it's a fair exchange."
EID AL FITR AT A GLANCE
What is it: Eid Al Fitr marks the
three-day holiday that celebrates the end of Ramadan, a monthlong observance
in which Muslims abstain from food, drinks and other sensual pleasures from
dawn to dusk. The Arabic word "Eid" means joy, and "Fitr" means charity.
Who
celebrates: More than 50,000 Muslims in metro Atlanta, and more than a billion
worldwide.
What's required: It's a time of feasting and of giving and receiving
gifts. It's considered a blessing to wear everything new on Eid day, hence
charity is incumbent on all Muslims before the day of celebration so the poor
may also avail themselves of this blessing.
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