Thousands gather at the convention centre to mark end of Ramadan’s month of fasting, prayer By: John Longhurst Posted: 12:28 PM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2024

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This article was published 10/04/2024 (609 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“It’s just like Christmas for Christians, that’s what Eid is like for Muslims.”

That’s what Yameen Ahmmed, 24, said as he entered the convention centre Wednesday to pray with other local Muslims who were marking the end of Ramadan.

“Look at all the people from different races and cultures, all coming together,” he said, looking at the assembled crowd.

Ahmmed, a University of Manitoba business student from Bangladesh, said the preceding month of fasting and prayer had been a time when he “felt close to God.”

While Eid is a special day, one thing he missed was spending time with his family — a traditional part of the celebration.

“I will spend it with friends,” he said.

Ahmmed was one of about 15,000 people at the convention centre to mark Eid Al Fitr. The word means “festival” or “feast” in Arabic, and it marks the end of 30 days of fasting during Ramadan.

People prayed together in three shifts, 5,000 at a time, starting at 7 a.m. Other Muslims prayed at mosques across the city.

Worshippers were divided into two spaces in the third-floor hall, one for men and the other for women. Green tape on the floor marked where they sat in rows facing northeast towards Mecca — the polar route being the shortest distance to that holy city from Winnipeg.

For 23-year-old A.J., Eid is a time to celebrate completing the past 30 days of fasting, giving to charity and feeling closer to God.

“Look at all the people from different races and cultures, all coming together.”–Yameen Ahmmed

He especially felt close to God at night, when the University of Manitoba computer science student would “stay up by myself to read the Qur’an and pray.”

A.J., who came to the province from Jordan in 2018 to study, said those quiet times were special because he could reflect on his relationship with God.

Since Eid is a special family day, it would be hard to be so far away from home, he said.

“I’ll spend it with friends, we’ll have a barbecue if the weather is nice,” he said, adding he had already called his parents to wish them Eid Mubarak, or blessed Eid.

Adeola Bakare, 45, arrived in Manitoba from Nigeria 10 years ago. For him, Ramadan was a time of blessing — and a chance to lose weight.

“The fasting is good for the body,” he said. “I lost about 10 pounds.”

Since Muslims make sure to give to charity for people at home and in other countries during Ramadan, Bakare, who is married with four children, focused on giving to help about 100 people back in Nigeria.

The suffering of people in Gaza was also on his mind. “I donated and prayed for them every night,” he said.

Hanaa and Rayan Asseel are sisters who came to Manitoba from Syria seven years ago. “The month of Ramadan went by so fast,” said Hanaa, 21, who is working as a security guard.

For her, Ramadan is so much more than fasting. “It’s a time to feel closer to God and to be with others at the mosque,” she said.

It was also a time for giving to others, said Rayan, 18, a student at the U of M. He thought of people in Syria and in Gaza. “We remembered them, we prayed for them,” she said, adding that Ramadan is a time to feel empathy for people who are poor and hungry, as well as focusing on the inner spiritual life.

This was Mohammed Ayii’s third Eid celebration. The 23-year-old from South Sudan converted to Islam from Christianity three years ago.

“Islam is such a simpler religion,” the married father said, explaining his reason for converting. “I can pray directly to God, no need to go through the Son to the Father.”

Ayii, who works as a property manager, also likes how Islam resists change.

“It doesn’t bend to the rules of society,” he said, adding it provides followers with a consistent and focused way to worship God through daily prayers.

For him, the Ramadan fast wasn’t hard, although it was more difficult during the first few days. Overall, it was a special time of remembrance of God.

According to Tasneem Vali of the Manitoba Islamic Association, the cost to rent the convention centre for the Eid celebration was about $40,000. That total was covered by donations.

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