Muslims in Iran, other countries celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking end of Ramadan

Muslims in Iran and some other countries have celebrated Eid al-Fitr which marks the end to the holy month of Ramadan, with mass prayers held in the morning across Iran to mark the festive occasion.

Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important religious holidays in Islam, celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan.

Naqareh drums were played at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam, in Mashhad, Iran, on Tuesday morning, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in the country. In the capital, Tehran, people gathered at the University of Tehran to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers.

Meanwhile, three countries, including Afghanistan, Niger, and Mali, marked Eid al-Fitr on Sunday.

Dozens of Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, and Egypt, announced Monday as Eid.

Along with Iran, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, as well as Iraq celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar and differences in the sighting of the moon can lead to communities marking the occasion on different days.

This year’s Ramadan, like last year’s, coincided with a new wave of Israeli aggression against Palestinians, which infuriated Muslims around the world, prompting them to attend mass protests to condemn the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

‘Palestine is alive’

Ayatollah Kazem Seddiqi, who led the Eid al-Fitr prayers at the University of Tehran, noted in his sermon that this year’s International Quds Day saw massive anti-Israel protest movements throughout the Muslim world.

The protesters “showed that nothing can diminish the Palestinian issue and that al-Quds and Palestine are alive,” he said.

Ayatollah Seddiqi said the Palestinian youth are sacrificing their lives to defend their homeland against the occupying Israeli regime.

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