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By Al Jacinto Correspondent
SULU: Muslims in Mindanao on
Friday celebrated the ’Id al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting
month of Ramadan.
Some 10,000 Muslims, led by Gov.
Sakur Tan, converged in front of the Sulu provincial capitol in
Patikul town where they performed the ’Id prayer.
“This is a celebration of
faith, a renewal of the Muslim faith and the time to help the less
fortunate or the poor. Muslims are celebrating the ’Id all over
the world and we, in Sulu celebrate the blessings of God and that is
peace and prosperity,” Tan told The Manila Times.
During the month of Ramadan,
Muslims observed a strict fast and took part in pious activities,
such as charitable giving and peace making. And at the end of
Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world observe a joyous three-day
celebration called ’Id al-Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking.
’Id al-Fitr is a time for
sharing charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and
friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.
“The ’Id [celebration] brings
us, our family together. We eat and celebrate and pray together and
thank Allah for all the blessings in life. It is also the time to
help the poor,” one worshipper, Ibrahim Usman, said in a separate
interview.
In Zamboanga City, Christians
also celebrated the Hermosa Festival in honor of the century-old
statue Virgin Mary, called Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza,
brought there by Spanish colonizers and believed by many locals to
be miraculous.
The festival featured weeklong
Novena Masses, cultural shows, agricultural fairs, art, photo and
flower garden exhibits, torch parades, fireworks and carnivals. It
all ended with a solemn procession attended by thousands of
Catholics and a Mass at Fort Pilar, where the statue of the Virgin
Mary is enshrined.
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