Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr as Ramadan ends
Ramadan, the Islamic holy month marked by fasting, has come to an end. Now Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Fitr despite the pandemic and violent conflicts. Here's a look at how some people are marking the festival.
Overshadowed by conflict
Ramadan has come to an end in the midst of escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis. Still, about 100,000 Muslims came together on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Thursday, according to media reports. The compound, which is home to the iconic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, is the third holiest site in Islam.
Selfies at a holy site
At the beginning of the week, this was the site of riots. Protesters threw stones, police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets and a fire broke out. But for Eid al-Fitr, the Dome of the Rock went back to being a popular site for snapshots.
A focus on community
Thursday marks the first of three days of Eid al-Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan. This is a scene from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where the morning prayer rang in the beginning of the festival.
Praying next to ruins
The Al-Masfi Mosque, also known as Umayyad Mosque, in Mosul, Iraq was built nearly 1,400 years ago. Parts of it were destroyed in the war with the so-called "Islamic State." But Muslims still pray here for the festival.
Looking for the moon
The end of the fasting month depends on when the crescent moon is sighted. At the Al-Musyari'in Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, people still use traditional tools to spot the moon.
Parading with torches
In Jakarta, children carried torches around their neighborhood during the night before the start of Eid al-Fitr.
Gifts for the little ones
Eid al-Fitr is especially important to children, who often receive gifts and sweets. This boy in the Pakistani metropolis of Karachi seems to have found his favorite balloon.
Together, but with a distance
Muslims also gathered in Germany to celebrate the beginning of the festival. In Bonn, they followed pandemic protocols and prayed on a sports field while keeping a distance and wearing face masks.
Under the open sky
About half of the population in Bosnia-Herzegovina is Muslim. Here, people also met to pray under the open sky the morning after cannon shots marked the last time to break the Ramadan fast.
Will the shortlived peace last?
In Afghanistan, the radical Islamist Taliban and government troops agreed on a three-day cease-fire. But security personnel still stood guard at the Abdul Rahman Mosque in Kabul, one of the largest in the country, to control arriving devotees.
A culinary celebration
For many, the three-day celebration is also an opportunity to indulge in delicious feasts. Of course, baked goods like these cookies are a must.