Eid al-Fitr celebrated in Birmingham with record 140,000 people turn-out
By William Rodriguez
A RECORD-BREAKING 140,000 Muslims gathered in Birmingham today to mark the end of Ramadan - the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Worshippers from around the world descended on the city’s Small Heath Park for the Eid festivities.
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The Celebrate Eid event - the largest of its kind in Europe - has seen a ten-fold increase in attendees since 12,000 took part in the first one in 2011.
Muslims of all ages came together for morning prayers, before enjoying festivities including fairground rides, miniature golf and laser clay pigeon shooting.
Food and drink from local stalls was also on offer, and organisers from Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre heralded the event's continuing success and growing popularity.
A spokesman for the organisation said: "This celebration is one of the most important in the Islamic religious calendar and it's an opportunity for us all to come together in peace and unity.
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"We're all overwhelmed that so many people from different faiths and from across the world have travelled to Birmingham for this year's Celebrate Eid.
"We've been working for months with five local mosques and our charity partner Human Appeal to organise the community for a memorable day of prayer, games and fun."
Ramadan is also a time for charitable giving, and the mosque and community centre said it had raised more than £1 million for the Saving Syria Project.
More than 200 volunteers are helping to clear up the park, once the festivities have concluded.
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Ramadan is the holiest month in the Muslim calendar, where Muslims focus on personal reflection and prayer through three types of worship: charity, prayer and fasting.
This year’s Ramadan began on May 16 before finishing yesterday.
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For its duration Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset, with a pre-dawn meal known as suhur and sunset meal called ifta.
Children and those suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill or menstruating are excluded from the fast.
It is followed by another two days of festivity for the global Muslim community, which numbers over 1.6 billion.
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