UNC St Joseph – Eid-ul-Fitr Greetings
Eid-ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fiṭr means “breaking the fast”. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The first day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month Shawwal. This is a day where Muslims around the world try to show a common goal of unity. It is a day of recognizance of God.
Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims undergo a period of fasting.
The season of Ramadan has special meaning to Muslims, all over the world, and, in Trinidad and Tobago, the culmination of this period in a national holiday has served as a focal point, not only for Muslims but for many non-Muslims as well. This is a feature of our multicultural society, which we ought not to take for granted, given the other reality that has prevailed in several other countries.
It is incidental that we have this example of the Muslim community, in our midst, with a high point at Eid-ul-Fitr. The call to sacrifice is never an easy one, but when we consider the other sacrifices that we are often called upon to make, we may do well, as a people, to embrace the ideas, if not the actions, inherent in Eid and the period leading up to it.
The UNC St Joseph Constituency Executive wish all citizens and especially to those of the Muslim faith a happy day, not just respite from work, but time for reflection on what Eid-ul-Fitr can signify for all of us, as we continue to pray for our beloved nation. May God bless Trinidad and Tobago.
United National Congress
St Joseph Constituency Executive