JAKARTA, The Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan was celebrated by Muslims on Wednesday with family reunions, new clothes and sweet treats.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, about three-quarters of the population were traveling for the annual homecoming, known locally as "mudik", which is always greeted with enthusiasm.
"Mudik is not just an annual ritual or tradition for us," said Ridho Alfian, a civil servant who lives in the Jakarta area and was visiting Lampun province on the southern tip of Sumatra island. "It's the perfect time to reconnect, like to recharge the energy that's been drained from almost a year away from home."
Before the Eid al-Fitr holidays, the markets were filled with buyers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets.People started returning from major cities to villages to celebrate holidays with their loved ones. Flights were overbooked and anxious relatives were laden with boxes of gifts and long lines formed at BU and train stations for the journey.
In Pakistan, authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces to maintain security at mosques and markets. People were shopping like normal on Tuesday, women were buying bangles, jewelery and clothes for themselves and their children.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said financial turnover during the Eid holidays this year will reach nearly $10 billion and cross sectors including retail, transit and tourism.For Arini Devi, a mother of two, Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of victory over financial difficulties during Ramzan. "Finally, I am happy to celebrate Eid holidays despite the rise in food prices," he said.
Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla was among Jakarta residents praying in the Al Azhar Mosque courtyard. "Let us celebrate Eid al-Fitr as a day of victory over many difficulties... Of course there are many social problems during the fasting month of Ramadan, but we can overcome it with faith and piety," the call said.
The night before the holiday, called "Takbiran", Jakarta residents celebrate the eve of Eid al-Fitr by setting off firecrackers on streets that were mostly empty as city residents went home.On Wednesday morning, Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder in communal prayers on the streets and inside mosques. Jakarta's Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, was packed with worshipers offering morning prayers.
In their sermons the preachers called on people to pray for Muslims in Gaza who were suffering after six months of war.
"This is the time for Muslims and non-Muslims to show humanitarian solidarity because the conflict in Gaza is not a religious war, but a humanitarian problem," said Gimli Ashiddi, chairman of the advisory board of the Indonesia Mosque Council."
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, about three-quarters of the population were traveling for the annual homecoming, known locally as "mudik", which is always greeted with enthusiasm.
"Mudik is not just an annual ritual or tradition for us," said Ridho Alfian, a civil servant who lives in the Jakarta area and was visiting Lampun province on the southern tip of Sumatra island. "It's the perfect time to reconnect, like to recharge the energy that's been drained from almost a year away from home."
Before the Eid al-Fitr holidays, the markets were filled with buyers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets.People started returning from major cities to villages to celebrate holidays with their loved ones. Flights were overbooked and anxious relatives were laden with boxes of gifts and long lines formed at BU and train stations for the journey.
In Pakistan, authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces to maintain security at mosques and markets. People were shopping like normal on Tuesday, women were buying bangles, jewelery and clothes for themselves and their children.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said financial turnover during the Eid holidays this year will reach nearly $10 billion and cross sectors including retail, transit and tourism.For Arini Devi, a mother of two, Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of victory over financial difficulties during Ramzan. "Finally, I am happy to celebrate Eid holidays despite the rise in food prices," he said.
Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla was among Jakarta residents praying in the Al Azhar Mosque courtyard. "Let us celebrate Eid al-Fitr as a day of victory over many difficulties... Of course there are many social problems during the fasting month of Ramadan, but we can overcome it with faith and piety," the call said.
The night before the holiday, called "Takbiran", Jakarta residents celebrate the eve of Eid al-Fitr by setting off firecrackers on streets that were mostly empty as city residents went home.On Wednesday morning, Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder in communal prayers on the streets and inside mosques. Jakarta's Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, was packed with worshipers offering morning prayers.
In their sermons the preachers called on people to pray for Muslims in Gaza who were suffering after six months of war.
"This is the time for Muslims and non-Muslims to show humanitarian solidarity because the conflict in Gaza is not a religious war, but a humanitarian problem," said Gimli Ashiddi, chairman of the advisory board of the Indonesia Mosque Council."
