The United States of America is a country that claims to be not bounded by race or religion but instead is a country filled with unity, brotherhood and equality. Certainly, as we have seen, out of the 313.9 million people, 73% of them are Christians which makes Christianity the most popular religion in the super power country. Alternatively, there are Muslims living there, most of them struggling in the midst of people of different religions.
It’s pretty natural that Christmas, that marks Jesus Christ’s birth, is the most celebrated occasion in the US – keeping in mind that most of the people there are Christians. Government offices, associations, companies and schools are closed, nearly without exception. Many people visit relatives or friends and are out of town. The whole country is decorated in 25th December, with colorful lights and remarkable Christmas Trees. The jovial going on everywhere can be felt.
On the other hand, Islam is a minor religion there. That plainly makes it simple that the main festival of Muslims “Eid” is not celebrated with a bang, unlike Christmas!
For Muslims, Eid is a divine day. Both Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are considered blessings from Almighty Allah. People in Muslim oriented countries celebrate it with their hearts out, but it’s obviously different in the US which is overshadowed by mostly Christians. Firstly, Eid –ul –Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan lasts for three days of delight. American Muslim start their day by praying in mosques or outdoor prayer ground while others are busy cooking scrumptious food at home. They dress up to the nines and go out to visit the other American Muslims and exchange gifts.
Conversely, Eid–ul- Azha is rejoiced in the US which involves praying and social gatherings. Like any typical Muslim, they share wishes and gifts. The most significant part of this Eid is the sacrificing of any animal permitted in Islam in remembrance of the holy Sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim (RA) and his son, Hazrat Ismail (RA) in the name of Almighty Allah. Sadly, all the Muslims cannot carry out this act of religion. The fortunate ones search for farms where they can carry out the sacrifice, but many send money to their local lands to help fund a sacrifice. Basically, the vibe of Eid celebration cannot be even felt there.
The saddest part is that it’s not given much attention. They’re not even made federal public holiday although some Islamic organizations might be kept closed. Imagine Muslims there to go for work during their most important Islamic festival which they’d surely have expected in a different way. Don’t they deserve a day off to celebrate their own festival like the Christians?
From the above discussion, it’s clear that Muslims are not allowed to celebrate Eid freely in the US - like Christians celebrate Christmas. Actually, they’re not given that opportunity. Christians celebrate it with a bang and a boom whereas not much sparkle can be made in Eid. It’s rather kept simple.
View the Original article
0 comments:
Post a Comment