WASHINGTON, 20 January 2005 — Americans cherish their freedom of choice, but have some American Muslims gone too far with their decision to celebrate Eid on Friday? Many here think so.
“There is some misunderstanding in the minds of American Muslims regarding the celebration of Eid El-Adha. While we understand different dates for celebrating Eid Al-Fitr, because it is related to fasting during the month of Ramadan, and there is an acceptance of variations of the moon sighting regarding the month of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr.
But for the Eid Al-Adha, Muslims around the world connected, ritually, with the rituals of the Haj, which only happens geographically in a certain place, i.e. Makkah, Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifa,” said Aly Abuza’akouk, program officer for the Middle East and North Africa at the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy.
Muslim leaders here say much of the confusion is due to change of dates by the Haj authorities in Saudi Arabia. “We have a very Muslim-American focus during Ramadan, and the Eid Al-Fitr and we go along with the North American sightings here at the Adams Center (the All Dulles Muslim Society),” said the Virginia-based Adam’s President Rizwan Jaka.
“But with Eid Al-Adha, we follow the Haj Authority.” Jaka said the problem for many Muslim-Americans was due to Eid’s date change from Saudi Arabia. “First, the Haj authorities announced it was Friday, then they switched it to Thursday, which we decided to follow even though it caused us a lot of work.” To clear up the confusion, their web page provides an explanation (www.adamscenter.org), he said.
Jaka said the Adams Center will have their Eid prayers on Thursday, “but there are also a few alternative Eid prayers on Friday for those who can’t make it on Thursday.”
Another problem for Muslim-Americans in the area, Jaka said, is that the Bush inauguration made it impossible to have Eid Al-Adha prayers and celebrations at the Washington Convention Center, where it’s been held annually for the region’s Muslims. So, to avoid traffic jams and hassles, many of the region’s mosques are holding their own prayers and festivals this year.
Abuza’akouk said the change of date by the Haj authorities caused real problems here, as many of the Islamic centers throughout the US had already paid thousand of dollars to reserve places for the public gathering of Eid prayers and celebrations: “It is understood by Muslim scholars that whatever is chosen by the religious authorities at Makkah, should be the date of Eid Al-Adha and the date of Arafat, and Muslims all over the world must follow these dates.”
Abuza’akouk said the misunderstanding is that some people think the decision for Eid Al-Fitr should be made by the moon sighting, as during the month of Ramadan. “There are people who say the moon sighting should be controlled by the astronomical calculations, and people who do not agree with this, and insist on the naked eye sighting. The records show that there are variations in both methodologies.
“I believe that the dates chosen by the authorities at Makkah are the dates for Haj regardless of other methods of sighting, even if it were not congruent or matching to the astronomical calculations,” said Abuza’akouk, who was the former executive director of the American Muslim Council based in Washington.
As Muslims worldwide celebrate ritually with the people who are performing Haj, Abuza’akouk said Muslims worldwide are encouraged to fast while the Hajis visit the plain of Arafat. “It is important to bring the hearts of Muslims together and not divide the hearts of Ummah (the worldwide Muslim community),” he said.
