Cebu’s Muslims join global observance of Eid Al Adha

CALLS for peace and reconciliation were made to Cebu’s Muslim community as they joined the rest of the Islamic world in observing the “Feast of Sacrifice” yesterday.

Imam Aladdin Ubpon led the prayer of 2,000 Muslims of the Al Khaitiah Mosque in Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City as they celebrated Eid Al Adha.

“ We should all pray for peace and understanding with our brothers and sisters. If we talk peacefully and understand, there would be no chaos,” Ubpon told Cebu Daily News.

The group started praying at 8 a.m followed by sacrificing a goat, which marks the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God, before God intervened and provided him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

Ubpon said they offered two goats yesterday morning.   By tradition, the family retains one third of the meat.

A third is shared with friends and neighbors. The remainder is given to the poor.

Ubpon said yesterday is also the time for Muslims to visit families and neighbors and reconcile differences with other people.

Eid al Adha is also the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Ubpon said the journey to Mecca is a pillar of Muslim teaching like praising no other god but Allah, praying five times a day, giving alms to the poor and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

An estimated three million Muslims from 186 nations gather around Mecca for the pilgrimage that culminated with Eid al Adha.

Their mosque, being the biggest in Cebu City drew Muslims from all over the province as well as Negros and Mindanao.

He admitted that this year’s celebration of Eid Al Adha is modest compared to the previous years due to lack of funds.

The Muslim community would usually gather in Plaza Independencia and hold a prayer and celebration sponsored by Cebu City.

But Ubpon said they were unable to celebrate together in Plaza Independencia since the funds donated by the city was processed late and not released.

He said the city allocated P200,000 for the celebration of Eid Al Adha and Eid al Fitr.

The fund would be coursed through the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos in Central Visayas which organizes the over-all celebration in the region.

However, Ubpon said it would be better if funds from City Hall would be distributed by the mosque, since most Muslims would also celebrate in their mosques.

President Aquino has declared Monday, Nov. 7,  as an official non-working holiday in recognition of the occasion’s significant to world peace.  Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya with an Inquirer report