By Leah Bjornson,
Special to The Post 

Dressed in their brightest and finest, local Muslims gathered at the Az Zahraa Islamic Center in Richmond last Saturday to celebrate the holy day of Eid-al-fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan.
Meeting at one of the many celebrations that took place around the city, friends and families greeted one another with hugs and smiles before filing into the mosque to attend the special Eid prayer.
Eid-al-fitr is one of the two major Muslim holidays and is a time of charity, family, and giving. In some countries, Eid-al-fitr celebrations can last up to three days.
After the prayer and the imam’s sermon, those present were invited outside to enjoy a midday carnival, complete with a Tilt-a-Whirl and an inflatable slide. Set against a backdrop of the Az-Zahraa’s shining minarets, members of the mosque enjoyed a lunchtime buffet of pancakes and treats as they mingled and exchanged small gifts.
“Celebrating a holiday is part of your identity,” explained Sheykh Murtaza Bachoo, the mosque’s imam, who continued to greet members of the mosque while he sat at one of the tables beside the buffet. “Our Islamic identity is something that is very valuable to us, and the way we nurture that identity is obviously we celebrate Islamic holidays.”
As it marks the end of 30 days of fasting, the holiday is also a time to celebrate the hard work the community has put in over the last month. In Canada, Muslims fasted for 18 hours a day this year, due to the holy month beginning on the summer solstice.
Before racing home to prepare feasts and presents for their loved ones, members of the Az-Zahraa Mosque shared their thoughts on what Eid means to them.

Sajjad Dewji, Richmond

What does Eid mean to you?

“For me it’s primarily about community, and celebrating friends and family. Ramadan is pretty tough, and by the end of Ramadan we’re just ready to let loose and enjoy ourselves.”

What is the best part of celebrating Eid in Canada?

“In Canada, the weather. The weather has been great this year. [Also] it brings out people to the Mosque who you might not have seen in a long time.”

Kaniz Bhimani, Richmond

What does Eid mean to you?

“I think it’s a time of fresh beginnings as human beings, where we’ve just come away from a month-long of reforming ourselves to become better people. And it’s the beginning of the rest of our lives to become better people. To be more conscious of humanity, and to be more conscious of the needs of other people around the world.”

What is the best part of celebrating Eid in Canada?

“In Canada, it’s just wonderful to see how the non-Muslim community — they’re not as many, but there are more and more non-Muslims who are starting to celebrate the occasion with us, and we with them. It’s like Christmas. We celebrate each other’s [holidays], even though I’m not a Muslim. So it’s nice when I go out when people say ‘Happy Eid.’”

Hassan Alam, Vancouver

What does Eid mean to you?

“It means family. It means celebrating the end of Ramadan. But I think it also means, given that this is a Judeo-Christian dominant society, it’s a way of also carving out our own identity and celebrating that identity.”

What is the best part of celebrating Eid in Canada?

“Sharing, celebrating.”

Yusuf and Maryam Savory, Richmond

What does Eid mean to you?

Yusuf: Like, Christmas for Muslims? No, that’s really weird. You just like finished 30 days of fasting.

What do you look forward to with Eid?

Maryam: Getting presents.

Yusuf: The presents.

Maryam: And the carnival! Being able to play with my friends.

What is your favourite thing you’ve ever received for Eid?

Yusuf: A metal rod!

Maryam: He’s going to make a lock picker out of it. I think last year I got a Japanese fighting fish.

Khalil Jessa, White Rock

What does Eid mean to you?

“I’d say it’s the destination after a long journey. After fasting for an entire month, Eid is sort of a recognition of all that we’ve done, of all that we’ve suffered through and all we’ve achieved.”

What is the best part of celebrating Eid in Canada?

“Any religious holiday in Canada is also a celebration of multiculturalism, which is embedded in our identity. So, when we’re here together — there are a lot of people here from outside of the community and they’re all celebrating together — and that’s Canada.”

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