US Muslims to celebrate Eid despite growing anti-Muslim hate crimes across the country: Report

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Friday 17 Jul 2015 - 12:05 Makkah mean time-1-10-1436 (Google image) North America, (IINA) - US Muslims across the country will gather on Friday in order to celebrate Eid al-Fitr el Mubarak and mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. American Muslims, along with Muslims in several other countries, will recognize this holiday on Friday because of astronomical estimates from the Fiqh Council of North America that predict when the new moon will be visible, USA TODAY reported. But, for some American Muslims, the joyous day may be hard to celebrate. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (CAIR)  told USA TODAY anti-Muslim hate crimes across the U.S. make it difficult to relax and enjoy the holiday. “We’re dealing with this almost on a daily basis,” Hooper said. “We hope that the larger society supports the ending of these crimes.” Hooper cited an incident in New York on Tuesday, where the New York police department said a man punched a woman and yelled anti-Muslim sentiments at her. The 19-year-old woman suffered a fractured jaw from the incident. “These are the kinds of things that will be at the back of your mind,” Hooper said. Kamal Nawash, founder of the Free Muslims Coalition, an organization that aims to denounce misconceptions and stereotypes about the Muslim community, said he believes anti-Muslim hate crimes happen predominately to Muslims who wear certain apparel that reflects their culture especially on religious occasions. “Some people who feel that it is necessary to dress in a way to reflect the culture that they came from may get certain looks that make them feel uncomfortable,” Nawash said. From his side, US President Obama brings attention to Ramadan each year with an annual Iftar dinner at the White House. In June, Obama invited members of the White House staff, elected officials and young leaders and women in the Muslim community to celebrate. The president will likely to release a statement on Friday to recognize the Eid celebration. It is noteworthy that since June 17, Muslims around the world marking Ramadan observed the holy month of fasting in the Islamic calendar. Eid celebrations break the fast, and begin the 10th month on the Islamic lunar calendar at the sight of the new moon. SM/IINA