Asia’s Muslims celebrate 1st Eid after Covid curbs eased: ‘Words can’t describe how happy I am’

Millions of Indonesians rejoiced at the return of the tradition of homecoming after two years, as Malaysian Muslims filled bazaars and shopping malls
For others, the festivities were dampened by conflict and economic hardship – with India’s Muslims reeling from vilification by hardline Hindu nationalists

Religion

Associated Press

Published: 1:04pm, 2 May 2022

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This year, Muslims around the world are observing Eid al-Fitr – typically marked with communal prayers, celebratory gatherings around festive meals and new clothes – in the shadow of a surge in global food prices exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

Against that backdrop, many are still determined to enjoy Eid, which began on Monday in many Muslim-majority countries and marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, amid an easing of coronavirus restrictions in their countries. For others, the festivities have been dampened by conflict and economic hardship.

At the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, tens of thousands of Muslims attended prayers on Monday morning. The Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta was closed when Islam’s holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was closed to communal prayers last year.

Worshippers take part in Eid al-Fitr prayers at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

“Words can’t describe how happy I am today after two years we were separated by pandemic. Today we can do Eid prayer together again,” said Epi Tanjung after he and his wife worshipped at another Jakarta mosque. “Hopefully all of this will make us more faithful.”

The war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia have disrupted supplies of grain and fertiliser, driving up food prices at a time when inflation was already raging. A number of Muslim-majority countries are heavily reliant on Russia and Ukraine for much of their wheat imports.

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Even before the Russian invasion, an unexpectedly strong global recovery from the 2020 coronavirus recession had created supply chain bottlenecks, causing shipping delays and pushing prices of food and other commodities higher.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar, and methodologies, including moon sighting, can lead to different countries – or Muslim communities – declaring the start of Eid on different days.

In India, the country’s Muslim minority is reeling from vilification by hardline Hindu nationalists who have long espoused anti-Muslim stances, with some inciting hatred against Muslims. Tensions boiled over into violence at Ramadan, including stone-throwing between Hindu and Muslim groups.

Muslim preachers cautioned the faithful to remain vigilant during Eid.

People carry placards and shout anti-government slogans during a protest in Bengaluru against Islamophobia and communal violence on Saturday. Photo: AP

Indian Muslims “are proactively preparing themselves to deal with the worst,” said Ovais Sultan Khan, a rights activist. “Nothing is as it used to be for Muslims in India, including the Eid.”

Still, many Muslims elsewhere rejoiced in reviving rituals disrupted by pandemic restrictions.

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Millions of Indonesians have crammed into trains, ferries and buses ahead of Eid as they poured out of major cities to celebrate with their families in villages in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. The return of the tradition of homecoming caused great excitement after two years of subdued festivities due to pandemic restrictions.

“The longing for [the] Eid celebration in a normal way has finally been relieved today although the pandemic has not yet ended,” said Hadiyul Umam, a resident of Jakarta.

Many in the capital flocked to shopping centres to buy clothes, shoes and confectionery before the holiday despite pandemic warnings and food price surges.

Two men embrace after taking part in Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Many Muslims in Malaysia were in a celebratory mood after their country’s borders fully reopened. Photo: EPA-EFE

Muslims in Malaysia were also in a celebratory mood after their country’s borders fully reopened and Covid-19 measures were further loosened. Ramadan bazaars and shopping malls have been filled with shoppers ahead of Eid and many travelled to their hometowns.

“It’s a blessing that we can now go back to celebrate,” said sales manager Fairuz Mohamad Talib, who works in Kuala Lumpur. His family will celebrate at his wife’s village after two years of being apart due to earlier travel curbs.

There, he said, they will visit neighbours after the Eid prayers, chanting praises of Prophet Muhammad, and sharing food at each stop.

“It’s not about feasting but about getting together,” he said ahead of the holiday. With Covid-19 still on his mind, the family will take precautions such as wearing masks during visits. “There will be no handshakes, just fist bumps.”