Far from the din and controversy roiling interfaith
relations in the West, Muslims worldwide thronged mosques, cafes and parks in a
solemn and joyful end to the fasting month of Ramadan.
Authorities increased security in some countries due to
fears that violence could intrude on Friday's celebrations, but for most
Muslims it was a day of peace, family - and most important food.
Friends and relatives feasted on spicy lamb, kebabs and
saffron rice, while smokers happily puffed on cigarettes in broad daylight as
the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival got under way across the Muslim world.
During Ramadan, the faithful are supposed to abstain from
food, drink, smoking and sex in a dawn-to-dusk period of self-sacrifice to
commemorate the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
"It's nice to be eating, drinking and smoking during
the daytime," said Jordanian banker Mutaz Kurdi, 37, as he walked his two
children in an Amman park. "Fasting was difficult this year because of the
summer heat."
Business was brisk for ice cream vendors in Baghdad, where
children decked out in holiday finery rode Ferris wheels at amusement parks and
raced horse-drawn carts on traffic-free streets. Some boys battled each other
with plastic guns, ignoring a ban on toy weapons imposed so children would not
be mistaken for militants.
Still, soldiers guarded playgrounds and public parks, and
additional military and police checkpoints were erected across the Iraqi
capital - a reminder the country still faces near-daily bombings and shootings
despite a dramatic drop in attacks.
Ali Issa, a 41-year-old father of four from the Shiite slum
of Sadr City, said Iraqis have little to look forward to this holiday season,
with prices on the rise and continuing political bickering.
"The security situation is deteriorating and so is the
economy," Issa said. "This year, I only bought new dresses for my two
girls while I asked the two boys to use their old clothes because I cannot
afford new clothes for everybody."
In Yemen, authorities warned people to pray inside mosques
and deployed heavy security after posters signed by al-Qaida threatened
attacks. No outdoor prayers were held in two southern provinces after officials
urged people to avoid large gatherings.
War-weary Afghans marked the holiday with prayers for peace
in mosques as well as family gatherings in homes. President Hamid Karzai urged
the Taliban to lay down their arms and join peace talks - a theme often
repeated in presidential speeches but so far unheeded by significant numbers of
Taliban.
The normally festive atmosphere for Eid in Afghanistan was
tempered not only by the war but by bitterness over a threat by a small Florida
church to burn copies of the Islamic holy book Quran on Saturday, the ninth
anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. At least 11 people were injured in
scattered protests across the country, police said.
"Muslims are not going to be humiliated," cleric
Mohammad Ayaz Niazi said during a sermon in Kabul. "From this mosque, I'm
asking the world to prevent this crime, which could destroy global peace."
The controversy also dominated Eid sermons in the
Palestinian territories. Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Islamic militant Hamas,
told tens of thousands of Muslim faithful at a stadium in the Gaza Strip that
they had "to respond to this criminal, this liar, this crazy priest who
reflects a crazy Western attitude toward Islam and the Muslim nation."
The issue was also on the minds of Muslims in the United
States, many of whom urged tolerance.
At a mosque in Anaheim, California, Imam Mohammed Ibn Faqih
reminded worshippers that the holiness of the Quran could not be sullied by
burning it.
"Burning the Quran by itself, you are burning papers.
You are not burning the words of Allah. It is in our hearts," said
worshipper Susan Nachawati, an American born in Syria.
In suburban Chicago, where thousands of Muslims gathered for
prayers at a stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., Scott Alexander wore a pin on his
jacket that read: "I (Heart) Muslims and Their Mosques."
"A rash of Islamophobia is spreading through the
country, making it important to stand with Muslim Americans," said the
48-year-old Catholic, who was among interfaith leaders who attended the service
to show their support for Muslims.
Despite the controversy, most Muslims worldwide held to
traditions of celebration and family.
Thousands of children, most dressed in new holiday clothing,
thronged the streets of Gaza City, which were decorated with banners wishing a
"Happy Eid." Hamas activists distributed candy and toys to children
who lost parents during Israel's bruising war in Gaza nearly two years ago and
in other conflicts.
In the West Bank, men with children in tow paid respects to
female relatives - mothers, sisters and aunts - bearing gifts of sweets as well
as cash. The women greeted their visitors with offerings of baklava and other
pastries.
In Egypt, hundreds of thousands flocked to the Giza Zoo
while others rode traditional sailboats known as feluccas on the Nile River.
Millions prayed at some 3,000 outdoor sites as clerics gave sermons about the
need to end disputes among family members and the virtue of forgiveness.
Many were especially happy to see Ramadan end this year
because it began in August for the first time in 33 years, coinciding with the
hottest time of the year, with temperatures pushing 130 degrees in many
countries in the Middle East.
Jordanian tour operators said occupancy in Aqaba, Jordan's
sole sea outlet, was 100 percent as tourists rushed to catch up with the last
days of summer.
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Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo, Sameer N.
Yacoub in Baghdad, Ahmed al-Haj in San'a, Yemen, Gillian Flaccus in Anaheim,
California, and Carla K. Johnson in Bridgeview, Illinois, contributed to this report.
