Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Eid Mubarak !


Photo I shot of Mosque on my way to Cairo



To all my friends and surrogate family, especially to Sandy out in Mecca completing her first Hajj and Said celebrating his first Edid al-Adha in New York: Eid Mubarak!

For those of you who have no clue as to what Eid al-Adha is about this is for you:

Eid al-Adha aka Feast of Sacrifice is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar. It concludes the Pilgrimmage to Mecca (Hajj). Eid al-Adha lasts for three days and commemorates Ibraham's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son. Muslims believe the son to be Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs. According to the Koran, God told Ibrahim in a dream to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. But Ibrahim stayed true to God, and drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son, God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The feast re-enacts Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or a sheep. The family eats about a third of the meal and donates the rest to the poor.

Last year I was lucky enough to be in Egypt for Eid it was an experience I will never forget for a variety of reasons but most of all because of an event that I found too funny....this is from my diary last year...

" I walked the streets of Alexandria on a shopping expedition with my buddy Little Hassan aka Cookie.. the day after a Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim holiday commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. In the streets I saw pools of blood of lambs slaughtered for the holiday. It was amazing. Cookie is a 19 year old kid, he’s into hip hop and all things American. I got him into reggaeton music while I was there.. and on my next to last day he pulls me to him and gives me the highest ghetto compliment, “You are my beech” I just stared at him and laughed so hard tears streamed down my face.. and I gave him a “pound”. I miss the country, I miss the people but (clicking heels 3 times) there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...."



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