American Muslims attended large congregations of Eid ul Fitr prayers to celebrate the culmination of the month of Ramazan but some South Asian communities will mark the occasion on Wednesday.
In New York and Washington metro area – centers of Muslim populations from around the world – majority of people celebrated the Eid with traditional prayers at mosques, Islamic centers, hotel spaces and community halls.
But some communities in New York region including those from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh will celebrate the Eid on Wednesday corresponding festivities back in the countries of their origin.
In Washington metro area, ambassadors offered prayers at D.C.’s Islamic Center while communities organized congregations at dozens of places in Maryland and Virginia.
In Northern Virginia, McLean and Springfield had some of the largest gatherings on Tuesday, with Muslim communities from African countries, the Middle East and a large population Pakistani-American attending the prayers.
The Imams in their sermons called for peace and unity, emphasizing Islam’s message of peaceful life in service of people.
Some Imams also lamented disunity among Muslim countries as much of the Middle East reels from conflicts, wars and civil strife.
