This year’s Eid al-Fitr arrives with several firsts

Today marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr for many Minnesotans. And this year, there were some notable differences. For one, the early morning prayers did not take place in an open field or stadium like they have in the past, largely due to the wind and rain. So the celebrations moved indoors. Many gathered in the gymnasium of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn. The first Salat al-Fitr, or Eid prayer, began at 7 a.m. and prayers continued every hour through 11 a.m., with hundreds coming for each service. The center offered prayers in Arabic, English, Somali and, for the first time, Pashto. Abdiwahab Mohamed, assistant commissioner for immigrant and refugee affairs at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, said the addition of Pashto was a special way to welcome the arrival of new Afghan community members. ‘This was such a special pride [because of] the language access and welcoming the communities [by] opening up the mosque so that they feel part of the tradition here,’ he said.

Source: Somali National News Agency