US Muslims try to balance Eid rituals with virus concerns

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Families have been decorating homes in an attempt to spread joy in their communities, despite the pandemic. (AP)
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Updated 24 May 2020
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US Muslims try to balance Eid rituals with virus concerns

  • Muslim organisations are encouraging their communities to celebrate Eid while respecting peoples' health and wellbeing
  • Technology and creativity has allowed families to keep the spirit of the holiday alive

With no congregational prayers or family gatherings, Salsabiel Mujovic has been worried that this year’s Eid Al-Fitr celebration will pale. Still, she’s determined to bring home holiday cheer amid the coronavirus gloom.
Her family can’t go to the mosque, but the 29-year-old New Jersey resident bought new outfits for herself and her daughters. They are praying at home and having a family photo session. The kids are decorating cookies in a virtual gathering, and popping balloons with money or candy inside — a twist on a tradition of giving children cash gifts for the occasion.
“We’re used to, just like, easily going and seeing family, but now it’s just like there’s so much fear and anxiety,” she said. “Growing up, I always loved Eid. ... It’s like a Christmas for a Muslim.”
Like Mujovic, many Muslims in America are navigating balancing religious and social rituals with concerns over the virus as they look for ways to capture the Eid spirit this weekend.
Eid Al-Fitr — the feast of breaking the fast — marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Just like they did during Ramadan, many are resorting to at-home worship and relying on technology for online gatherings, sermons and, now, Eid entertainment.
This year, some Muslim-majority countries have tightened restrictions for the holiday which traditionally means family visits, group outings and worshippers flooding mosques or filling public spaces.
The Eid prayer normally attracts particularly large crowds. The Fiqh Council of North America, a body of Islamic scholars, encouraged Muslims to perform the Eid prayer at home.
“We don’t want to have gatherings and congregations,” Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, who prepared the council’s fatwa, or religious edict, said in an interview. “We should try to keep the spirit of Eid alive, even if it’s just in our houses, even if we just decorate our houses and wear our finest for each other.”

We should try to keep the spirit of Eid alive, even if it’s just in our houses, even if we just decorate our houses and wear our finest for each other.

Sheikh Yasir Qadhi


Qadhi, resident scholar at East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, has been “dreading” delivering an Eid sermon broadcast online with no worshippers.
“It’s going to be very strange to dress up in my Eid clothes and to walk to an empty place and to deliver a sermon to an empty facility,” he said before the start of the holiday. “It’s going to be very, very disheartening.”
But, he said, it’s the wise decision.
Even as restrictions have eased, the mosque is still closed to worshippers, he said. Like a few others, it is holding a drive-by Eid ceremony to safely distribute thousands of bags of sweets and goodies to children in cars.
While some are eager for mosques to re-open, Qadhi said, “We don’t want to be a conduit for the situation exacerbating. We need to think rationally and not emotionally.”
The North Texas Imams Council, of which he is a member, has recommended mosques remain closed. He said he expected the majority of mosques to stay closed to the public, though he worries about smaller mosques re-opening.
In Florida, the Islamic Center of Osceola County, Masjid Taqwa is holding the Eid prayer outdoors in the parking lot with social distancing rules in place.
Guidelines posted online include worshippers bringing their own prayer rugs, wearing mandatory masks and praying next to their cars while staying at least six feet apart. Participants are told not to hug or shake hands and to listen to the sermon from their cars.
“Eid is important but more important is the health of the people,” said Maulana Abdulrahman Patel, the imam. “We’ve been taking a lot of precautions,” and not acting on “sentiments or emotional feelings,” he said, adding they have been consulting with health and other officials.
Major Jacob Ruiz, the major of administration at Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, said he and the sheriff met with Patel before the celebration.
“They wanted to have something and they felt it was important but they wanted to do it with pretty much the blessing and the guidance of the sheriff’s office and the sheriff,” he said. “Everybody was in agreement that it’s going to be something that’s gonna be successful for them.”
The Muslim community in the county “has been very receptive and proactive in ensuring that they keep safety guidelines,” he said.
The Masjid Taqwa prayer is for men only, the mosque said, citing “constraints.” Plans for men-only prayers announced by at least one other mosque prompted objections by some about excluding women. For Masjid Taqwa, the decision to include just men was taken because having families together would make crowd control more difficult, Patel said.
In Michigan, the Michigan Muslim Community Council is organizing a televised Eid ceremony. It will include the Eid sermon, greetings from local elected officials and members of Muslim communities. “People will be at home seeing each other instead of gathering in large numbers,” said council chairman Mahmoud Al-Hadidi.
“It’s just to keep people connected,” he said, adding that “we’re trying to avoid any spread of the coronavirus.”
Normally, Eid is an all-day celebration with large gatherings over meals and a carnival for kids, he said. “Eid is a huge thing here.”
Back in New Jersey on the holiday’s eve, Mujovic and two of her daughters joined friends and others online to decorate cookies. Squeezing icing out and spreading it on cookies shaped like Ramadan lanterns or spelling out the word “EID,” the girls stopped to lick their fingers or munch on the treats.
As children waved, squealed and showed off their creations, it started to feel like Eid for Mujovic. “It was nice seeing happy faces,” she said.


Stranded UK F-35 jet becomes unexpected star in Indian tourism campaign

Updated 12 sec ago
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Stranded UK F-35 jet becomes unexpected star in Indian tourism campaign

NEW DELHI: India’s southern state of Kerala has found a unique ambassador to promote its coconut palm-lined beaches, backwaters and vibrant culture to tourists — a British F-35 fighter jet that has been stranded there since mid-June.
The Royal Navy aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on June 14 and has been grounded ever since, despite efforts to repair it. An AI-generated image of the stealth aircraft parked on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees has gone viral after it was shared by Kerala’s Tourism Department on Wednesday.
“This was part of our tourism campaign. It has been one of the most innovative and eye-catching ones ... It’s all in good humor and creativity,” Biju K., Kerala’s tourism secretary, said.
In the viral social media post, originally created by entertainment website The Fauxy, the jet can be seen giving the state of Kerala five golden stars, calling it “an amazing place.”
“I don’t want to leave. Definitely recommend,” the image quotes the jet as saying.
“Though tourism is under the government, it has moved out of government space in promoting the destination,” said Roy Mathew, director of Stark Communications, the tourism department’s brand promotion agency.
Kerala is among India’s most popular tourist destinations, and markets itself with the tagline “God’s own country.” Last year, 22.2 million tourists visited the state.
It boasts natural beauty along India’s south-western coastline and a rich heritage of classical dances, temple festivals and vibrant cuisine.
The Indian Air Force said last month it would help in the repair and return of the F-35, which made an emergency landing on June 14 when it was flying over the Arabian Sea off Kerala’s coast.
A British High Commission spokesperson told Reuters the UK had accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The jet will be moved to the hangar once engineering teams arrive from the UK with specialist equipment, the spokesperson added.
The Royal Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
UK’s Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said in Parliament on Monday that a Royal Air Force crew were in Thiruvananthapuram and working with Indian counterparts.


Germany to seek direct contact with Taliban on deportations

Updated 8 min 18 sec ago
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Germany to seek direct contact with Taliban on deportations

  • German interior minister says he wants direct contact with the Taliban to ensure criminals can be deported back to Afghanistan

BERLIN: Germany’s interior minster on Thursday said he wanted direct contact with the Taliban authorities in a bid to enable criminals to be deported back to Afghanistan.
“I envision us making agreements directly with Afghanistan to enable deportations,” Alexander Dobrindt said in an interview with Focus magazine.
Berlin currently has only indirect contact with the Taliban through third parties, an arrangement Dobrindt said “cannot remain a permanent solution.”
Germany stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
But a debate over resuming expulsions has flared as migration becomes a key issue amid the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Twenty-eight Afghan nationals who had been convicted of crimes were deported in August last year after Germany’s previous government carried out indirect negotiations with the Taliban.
No further deportations have taken place. But the debate has continued to rage, especially since a series of deadly attacks last year blamed on asylum seekers — with several of the suspects from Afghanistan.
Germany’s new government, a coalition between the conservative CDU/CSU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), has promised to expel more foreign criminals alongside a crackdown on irregular migration.
Dobrindt also said he was in contact with authorities to enable deportations to Syria, which have been suspended since 2012.
Longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad was toppled in December. The country is now under the control of Islamist leaders, some of whom were once linked with the Al-Qaeda jihadist network.
Germany has made tentative contact with the new authorities and has sent several delegations to Damascus for talks.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week said he believed “deportations to Syria are possible today, given the current circumstances and situation.”
Austria on Thursday deported a Syrian convict back to Syria, becoming the first EU country to do so officially in recent years.


Modi pushes further India-Africa cooperation on Ghana visit

Updated 41 min 43 sec ago
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Modi pushes further India-Africa cooperation on Ghana visit

  • Narendra Modi: ‘Over 200 projects across the continent enhance connectivity, infrastructure and industrial capacity’
  • Modi noted that the African Union had been admitted as a permanent member to the G20 while India held the rotating presidency

ACCRA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined plans for deeper ties between his country and Africa, as New Delhi increasingly vies for a stronger economic presence on the continent along with China and Russia.
In a speech to Ghana’s parliament, Modi highlighted a major rail project that opened in the west African nation last year, financed by the India Export-Import Bank.
He also underlined his country’s expanding diplomatic development and business footprint in Africa.
“Over 200 projects across the continent enhance connectivity, infrastructure and industrial capacity,” Modi said. On the political front he welcomed “the establishment of Ghana-India Parliamentary Friendship Society in your parliament.”
Modi’s visit is the first to Ghana by an Indian leader in three decades.
But India’s rival China remains the most important backer of infrastructure across the continent, a position only strengthened as the United States and other Western powers slash aid programs.
In a meeting Wednesday, Modi and Ghanaian President John Mahama agreed to deepen security and mining ties.
In November 2024, the Indian prime minister visited Nigeria, discussing trade and security at a time when Indian companies had expressed interest in investing in Nigerian industries including steel.
The Indian prime minister also on Thursday called for a greater global diplomatic role for both his country and Africa, warning that “the world order created after the Second World War is changing fast.”

Modi noted that the African Union had been admitted as a permanent member to the G20 while India held the rotating presidency of the bloc.
Progress on worldwide challenges including climate change, diplomacy, “terrorism” and pandemics “cannot come without giving voice to the Global South,” he added.
India, the world’s most populous country and a nuclear-armed power, has close ties with Russia but is often in rivalry with China.
Resource-rich Ghana is Modi’s first stop in a tour that will take the Indian premier to four other countries in Africa, the Caribbean and South America.
The visit to Accra came as he made his way to Brazil for a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies on Sunday and Monday.
Highlighting his own country’s economic development aspirations to become a “developed nation by 2047,” Modi said “India remains a committed partner in Africa’s development journey.”


US recalls top diplomat in Colombia for ‘urgent consultations’

Updated 03 July 2025
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US recalls top diplomat in Colombia for ‘urgent consultations’

  • Bruce said the United States “is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern”
  • Petro claimed a far-right “leader,” had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

WASHINGTON: The United States recalled its top diplomat in Colombia on Thursday for “urgent consultations” and expressed “deep concern” over the relationship between the two countries.

Charge d’affaires John McNamara was being recalled “following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Bruce did not specify what the offending remarks were.

In addition to McNamara’s recall, Bruce said the United States “is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship,” without detailing the actions.

She stressed, however, that Colombia remains an “essential strategic partner” despite Washington’s “policy differences with the current government.”

“We are committed to close cooperation on a range of shared priorities, including regional security and stability,” Bruce added.

Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro accused the United States and “right-wing extremists” last month of plotting to overthrow him.

Without providing further details, Petro claimed a far-right “leader,” who he did not identify, had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Colombia leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking.

Colombia was until recently one of the United States’ closest partners in Latin America.


Freight shipping on Mosel river in Germany blocked after accident

Updated 03 July 2025
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Freight shipping on Mosel river in Germany blocked after accident

  • The river, known as the Moselle in France, is an important transit route for grains and rapeseed between Germany and France
  • Vessels cannot pass the Sankt Aldegund lock in either direction, the spokesperson said

HAMBURG: Freight shipping on the river Mosel in west Germany has been blocked to shipping after an accident involving a passenger ship that damaged a lock, authorities said on Thursday.

The river, known as the Moselle in France, is an important transit route for grains and rapeseed between Germany and France. Transit was halted after an accident on Wednesday damaged a lock at Sankt Aldegund between Koblenz and Trier, a police spokesperson said.

Vessels cannot pass the Sankt Aldegund lock in either direction, the spokesperson said.

Technical experts on Thursday were examining the lock, and it is not yet possible to comment on the level of damage or say how long the impact on shipping will last, river navigation authority WSA said.

German federal transport minister Patrick Schnieder said in a statement he will visit the accident site later on Thursday.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that the lock can resume operations as soon as possible,” Schnieder said.

The river was closed to inland waterways shipping in December after an accident that damaged a lock at Mueden, south of Koblenz, and only reopened in February after lengthy repairs.

Initial indications are that the lock’s concrete structure and drive mechanism were not damaged in the accident, WSA head Eric Oehlmann said in a statement.

Technicians are currently assessing whether it is possible to resume limited lock operations for the waiting vessels to pass, he said.

“If not, we will find another solution, for example, through emergency locks with temporary water control barriers, which have already proven effective,” Oehlmann said.

A temporary lock was successful in allowing ships to transit during the winter disruption.

“Despite the accident, there is determination that shipping on the Moselle will not come to a complete standstill," Oehlmann said.