More than 7,000 Muslims gather in Raleigh for Eid al-Fitr
More than 7,000 Triangle-area Muslims gathered Wednesday at Dorton Arena to mark Eid al-Fitr with prayer and celebration.
Eid marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. Eid al-Fitr means the feast, or festival, of breaking the fast.
Prayer services were held Wednesday at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. There are over 30,000 Muslims in the Triangle community, and between 7,000 and 9,000 people were expected to attend the three services, according to event organizers.
This year's event comes as the Israel-Hamas war reaches the half-year mark.
Ali Zelmat, an event organizer from the Islamic Association of Raleigh, told WRAL News no protest is scheduled for Wednesday, but a group of spiritual leaders read a statement about their stance on the war.
Zelmat said the statement from local Imams, who represent leaders from area mosques, will share "hopes for continued engagement in creating a ceasefire, engaging the ceasefire in Palestine, and for the increase in humanitarian aid to the region."
According to Zelmat, the war will change the mood of the event, but the group aims for the Eid celebration to remain positive.
"Certainly it's difficult to celebrate in difficult times," Zelmat said. "Our celebrations are of course tempered with our emotions about the ongoing conflicts we're seeing Muslims experience throughout the world ... we still try to create an atmosphere of joy and hope and optimism - particularly for the youth - because troubled times happen, but eventually those end. We look forward to the time when we are in a happier situation again."
Security officers and parking attendants were on-site.
Zelmat said everyone is welcome at the services.
"We're a vibrant and very diverse group of people. We open our doors on a regular basis and invite others to come and learn about us because we believe that the way to break down misconceptions is to learn about one another," Zelmat said.
