Eid Celebrations in the Sacramento Area
By Ras H. Siddiqui

 

(Left): Eid prayers at SALAM. (Center): Sacramento Eid prayers. (Right): Roseville Eid Milan Party

Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated with a great deal of enthusiasm in Sacramento, California as thousands congregated at various area Mosques to celebrate the end of Ramadan on Saturday, October 13, 2007 . There were reports that a couple of Masjids did celebrate Eid a day earlier on Friday, but we are glad to report that this time nobody (that we are aware of) took the main holiday into Sunday.
Pakistan Link caught up with the festivities this time at the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims facility, where close to 1000 people gathered to offer their prayers led by Imam Abdel Azeez. The young Imam in his Khutbah highlighted the peaceful message that Islam brings to the world, one that leads to both inner and outer peace for all that choose to accept its true message of brotherhood.
The SALAM congregation was truly reflective of the message of brotherhood as Pakistanis mingled with African Americans, Indians with Vietnamese Muslims and Arabs, Persians and Hispanic Muslims along with local Caucasian converts wished each well and congratulated one another on their completion of Ramadan fasting.
Some of the men, women and especially the children came out in their best attire as colorful ethnic clothing lit up the SALAM premises for the daylight festival that followed prayers. Brothers Saeed Ahmed and Tariq Munir need to be congratulated for their efforts put into the festival along with Sister Shahnaz Iqbal who arranged the Eid dinner on the following day.
Many small and large Eid parties were held in the region. The Islamic Society of Placer County, under the auspices of Roseville Mosque held a nice little gathering at a park in nearby Rocklin, California to the delight of many. The Link made it a point to visit this gathering because the Roseville Mosque effort is in its infancy. Muslims/Pakistan Link readers in Placer County are encouraged to contact Mr. Bilal Adenwala (Tel: 916-224-7615), Mr. Mohi Alvi (916-521-3133), Kamran Qasim (916-529-9196) or Majid Pasha at
916-912-2894 if they would like to participate in the current and future Islamic Society of Placer County-Roseville Mosque Project.
So Eid Mubarak to all Link readers from Sacramento! The largest Eid gathering for Pakistanis is currently underway at Hagen Park in Rancho Cordova. And knowing local organizer Sohail Shahzad, we can expect that it is going to be quite an event.

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