07/28/14: Area Muslims say Eid is a bittersweet holiday this year

Area Muslims say Eid is a bittersweet holiday this year

Eid marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims believe that Islam's holy book, the Quran, was revealed by God to Mohammed, the prophet of Islam.

By Niraj Warikoo   Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

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Muslims across metro Detroit marked Eid on Monday, celebrating the holy day while also grieving for casualties in Middle East conflicts.

“Eid is bittersweet,” said Zeinab Chami, of Dearborn. “It’s a beautiful day of gratitude to God, spirituality and family, but it’s also the end of something wonderful. Eid is when we bid good-bye to Ramadan, which is like losing a friend.”

“This year, it’s especially bittersweet because of all the strife in the Muslim world, especially in Gaza and Iraq,” Chami added. “This Eid will be particularly difficult to celebrate with our whole hearts.”

Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, head of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, echoed her views, saying: “We are grateful celebrating the occasion here, but we are extremely sad because of the situation in Gaza, in Syria, in Iraq, and some other Muslim nations that have no Eid today and can’t celebrate it because of war and violence.”

In his sermon Monday after Eid prayers, Elahi criticized both Israel and the Islamic State, formerly ISIS, a militant group in Iraq and Syria.

“They have nothing to do with Islam,” Elahi said of the group.

Eid marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims believe that Islam’s holy book, the Quran, was revealed by God to Mohammed, the prophet of Islam.

In his sermon Monday after Eid prayers, Elahi said that Eid is like a “thanksgiving day for us, a spiritual birthday as we celebrate our submission to our Lord, and solidarity with his people.”

Elahi urged the congregation to continue six lessons from Ramadan: prayer, patience, charity, humility, respect, and responsibilities.

After Eid prayers, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano spoke at Elahi’s mosque, presenting a certificate from the county recognizing Eid.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/nwarikoo