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Saturday 18 Jul 2015 - 21:48 Makkah mean time-2-10-1436
(Image from OnIslam)
Houston, (IINA) - The annual event, which is put on by the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, regularly welcomes thousands of Muslim worshippers eager to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan by gathering for congregational prayer, according to OnIslam.
Houston is indeed home a sizeable Muslim community. According to the 2010, US Religious Census, the Muslim population in Texas, which numbers approximately 422,000 is larger compared to any other US state.
Furthermore, Houston has the largest concentration of Texas Muslims, where the community accounts for about 1.2 percent of the city’s 4 million residents.
To service such a large religious minority, Houston has about 80 mosques, at least 10 Islamic schools and about 50 restaurants which are certified as halal.
“It was nice and rewarding for us,” said John Sommers, a convert since December 2012, who attended the massive event alongside their fellow Houston Muslims along with his wife.
He added that his wife, a native of Abu Dhabi, was impressed with the widely diverse mix of American Muslims who call Houston home.
“For her to see such unity (amongst Muslims of different nationalities) was a new experience for her,” he said.
`Eid al-Fitr is one the two main Islamic religious festivals along with `Eid al-Adha.
After special prayers to mark the day, festivities and merriment start with visits to the homes of friends and relatives.
And while traditionally everyone wears new clothes for `Eid, children look forward to gifts.
SM/IINA
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