Men hand out sweets in front of the Dome of the Rock as Muslim worshippers celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Jerusalem on May 2. Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images
Muslims worldwide have started celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The big picture: For many, it's the first Eid al-Fitr since COVID-19 pandemic restrictions began to ease. But for some, it also comes amid conflict, and as the world sees surging food prices and other economic challenges made worse by Russia's war in Ukraine.
What they're saying: “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,” Epi Tanjung told AP in Jakarta, Indonesia. “Hopefully all of this will make us more faithful.”
- Marwan Taher, a worshipper at Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, told AP the atmosphere "really made me feel like it's Eid."
- Um Musab, a mother of five in the Gaza Strip, told AP that the situation there is difficult. “Employees barely make a living, but the rest of the people are crushed.”
For Afghans, it's the first Eid since the Taliban took over the country last August, deepening the humanitarian crisis there.
- Ramadan "and the Eid has always been about unity and forgiveness for us, but this year it has been the opposite,” an Afghan man named Jamal told Al Jazeera. “It has been the worst Ramadan of my life; not only are we starving, but there is no unity, nor can we worship in peace."
President Biden said in a statement: "This year, as we mark Eid al-Fitr, we hold in our hearts the millions of displaced persons and refugees around the globe who are spending this sacred holiday separated from their families and unsure of their future but still hoping for a brighter tomorrow."
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