Eid celebrations marked with 'little festivals'

Hundreds of people from across the Isle of Man are celebrating Eid, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The feast of Eid-al-Fitr, which lasts three days, comes at the end of a month-long period which sees Muslims fasting between dawn and sunset.

Celebrations are set to take place on Saturday, with a party for families in Douglas, along with other smaller community gatherings.

Tofail Awan, of the Islamic Association Isle of Man, said the number of people joining nightly prayers, known as Taraweeh, had grown significantly over the past decade, which meant there were now numerous "little festivals" being held for Eid.

When he first started work as a doctor at Noble's Hospital nine years ago, he said there was a "rough estimate" of about 250 Muslims on the island.

That number is currently thought to be about 600.

Awan said fasting for Ramadan this year was "very good" because it did not involve "very long days".

The date of Ramadan moves back about 10 days every year because it follows the lunar calendar.

He said this meant there was more time to recite the Quran.

Awan said people coming for sunset prayers were well-supported and looked after – particularly those who lived alone - with food cooked by different families at home shared with them at the mosque.

Another aspect of the community, he said, was "serving each other" in what was "quite elaborate community networking".

This involved by visiting friends and loved ones with food, and increasing charitable donations as "one of the hallmarks of Ramadan".

"Eid is the reward for all the worship which has been done and accepted, so that day it is a celebration - and that's the meaning of the happiness, Eid means to be happy," Awan said.

He said Muslims from different parts of the world had come to the Isle of Man over the years.

Many now have young families, he said, changing the feel of Eid celebrations.

Full community get-togethers were "getting difficult now because of the numbers" as the generations grew up, he explained.

That meant there would now be a party for about 100 parents and children to "celebrate in the community while getting the youngsters together" by playing games and sharing food.

Awan said he and his wife would be holding "little festivals" in smaller community groups in the form of a picnic, with everyone bringing a different dish.

"I'm really looking forward to that because this is a bunch of very close friends like brothers and sisters."

For Muslims, Awan said "peace and prosperity should be basically our goal and we do hope that the world will come together towards peace in not so long".

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