Xinhua
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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Thousands of people on Tuesday came out to open-air venues on the outskirts of the restive Somali capital Mogadishu to take part in the mass prayers to celebrate the annual Muslim Eid-al Adha festival.Wearing their best clothes, Somali men, women and children gathered to listen to sermons given by local religious leaders as warring sides observed unilateral lull in fighting.
During the festival people are encouraged to forgive and wish each other a happy, peaceful and prosperous year.
Islamist leaders who control much of the capital Mogadishu and south center of the horn of Africa country were also in attendance at the mass prayers.
Somali government officials have also taken part in mass prayers held in the government controlled part of the capital Mogadishu.
Residents in the Somali capital have enjoyed a relative and probably short-lived stability for the duration of the Islamic festivities as has been the case for the past three years when warring sides stop fighting during the Islamic festivities without any formal agreement between them.
Families traditionally buy new clothes and prepare sweets to give out to relatives and neighbors while adults give money to the children.
Some families who can afford slaughter animals to give out to neighbors and relatives in celebrations of the annual Islamic festivities which coincidences with the Muslims pilgrimage or the Hajj, a life-time religious journey to the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of Somalis attend the Hajj each year, and this year is of no difference with thousands already in Saudi Arabia for the religious obligation.
Despite the country's continued violence, people have been talking their time to celebrate one of those rare occasions in the Muslim calendar.
Source: Xinhua