Eid al-Fitr, marking end of Ramadan, draws huge crowds in Winnipeg and Brandon
Celebrations tinged with sadness because of fighting in Gaza, some say
Thousands of Manitobans are celebrating the festival of Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Moosa Shakir, among the thousands who celebrated the day at RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, says the war in Gaza has had an emotional impact.
"It is quite sad for us because of a lot of repercussions in areas of the Middle East, but we are hoping for better this year," he said.
Aissath Sidibe, who attended with her mother and two children, said the prayers will carry more weight.
"[Islam] is a tolerant religion. It's not only about Muslims, it's about all human beings, so it's important to pray for the world," she said. "The mass praying has more power."
She brought her young children along so they, too, will understand that, she said.
"It's important that my kids grow up with our culture, our tradition, and the Muslim faith because, to me, this is the most important thing to tackle [in] this world — to be faithful and trust God."
Eid al-Fitr celebrations are happening around the province, but the largest in Manitoba is at the convention centre in downtown Winnipeg.
"You fasted for 30 days and now you just enjoy celebrating with families," said Shakir.
Prayer times for the day are listed on the Manitoba Islamic Association's website.
Ruheen Aziz, the association's vice-chair, expects about 15,000 people to take in the prayers through the day.
Ramadan, one of the most important months for the religion of Islam, is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It begins on the first sighting of the new crescent moon.
This year, it began March 10 and, as always, was honoured with 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting.
Large crowd in Brandon
As many as 500 people celebrated the day in Brandon with prayers and a feast at the historic Dome Building.
Prayers started at 9 a.m. but the hall was already full by 8:30 a.m., something the Brandon Islamic Centre has never seen before, said secretary Muhammad Abidullah.
"Today, for the first time, there was so many people that we had to open … a door to accommodate more people [outside]," he said.
About a dozen people stood just outside the building's open doorway, Abidullah said, adding it meant they had to pray louder to ensure everyone could hear.
Brandon Islamic Centre president Amir Farooq said the city's Muslim community is growing, and many new members are international students.
"This is a fortunate surprise for us and a sweet surprise. We are increasing the Muslim community," he said.
Abidullah estimates people from about 30 countries now attend the centre's mosque. The organization is hoping to add a bigger space next year in time for Eid while pursuing a longer-term plan to build a new and larger mosque.
Abidullah said they've spent about a decade on the project so far.
Following the morning prayers at the Dome, a community feast was held for everyone.
Typically, the event at the convention centre in Winnipeg would also be followed with large community gatherings. But this year, under the shadow of the war in Gaza, things have been scaled down, said attendee Faraz Khan.
"We don't celebrate like we [usually] celebrate," he said.
Instead, he was heading to a simple and small gathering with family.
That sentiment was echoed by Naveed Ahmed, who said Winnipeg's Muslims must be sensitive to their relatives in Gaza.
"They cannot enjoy the Eid as we are doing right now, so we are happy to be here but still feel sad for them," he said.
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With files from Brittany Greenslade and Chelsea Kemp