Dear Editor,
Guyanese Muslims joined others across the New York metro area early Sunday morning to celebrate the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr with fervour and zeal. Eid marks the end of the dawn-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan (called Ramzan by Indo-Caribbeans), which began on May 26 evening and ended on June 24 evening.
Muslims at the several Guyanese mosques in Richmond Hill observed the festival in traditional Guyanese style — with prayers, feasts, distribution of vamazelly (vermicelli or sawine), cajoor, sirni (or butter-made mohanbhoog), and charitable contributions to the less fortunate.
The Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean Muslim diaspora in New York is a very tight-knit community, and they observe all Islamic traditions, especially during Ramadan or Ramzan (Rojah). In NY, every national community has its own masjid, and Muslims tend to patronise the mosque of nationals of their own former country. The Greater Richmond Hill area alone has half a dozen masjids. There are also masjids established by Bengali, Moroccan, Yemeni, Iranian, and other Arabs in the heart of the Indo-Guyanese Islamic community.
Muslim-owned businesses, homes, schools and masjids were beautifully decorated with greenery, crescent moons, trimmings, colourful lights, and huge signs of Eid greetings. Muslims gathered at mosques early on Sunday morning, all decked up in traditional garb for prayer. They were led in prayers by a head imam or mullah, assisted by other meijis. Masjids were overflowing with worshippers. Streets were closed off to accommodate the congregation. Tents were set up just outside of each masjid. Celebrants put on their best, most colourful clothing – traditional kurthas, kamiz, lahengas, and Nehru suits.
Eid is accorded official city recognition that comes with cancellation of parking regulations for two days (Sunday and Monday) and a public school holiday. The Eid festivities culminated the end of the pious observance of Ramadan (called Rojah in Guyana and parts of India) in the Islamic calendar.
Ramzan is an important pillar in Islam. During this period, pious Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise until sunset for an entire lunar month. Even many Muslim students fasted during the month, Guyanese were observed making the nightly trek to the mosque for prayers and the breaking of the fast in the evening at sundown. Breaking of the fast took place around 8:30 pm to 9 pm during these long summer days. From half a mile away, one could have heard the azan (announcement for prayers) over the microphone during the day and every evening, alerting pious Muslims that it was time for breaking of the fast. In Richmond Hill, people attired in colourful Islamic garb crowded the masjids in congregations for night prayers that normally ended around 9 p.m.
According to Islamic belief, people fasted for blessings, and celebrated their achievement with the marking of Eid, which commemorated the end of the fasting period, bringing Muslims together. It is an annual rite for the Muslim community to contract theme parks for a day of fun and recreation for children. Many Muslims hosted banquets, inviting friends, neighbours and relatives, especially that Monday is a holiday. Many businesses were also closed early on Saturday in preparation for the two days of holiday. During Sunday, Muslims feasted on a variety of cuisine (gulab jamun, vermicelli, sirni, jalebi, maleda, cajoor, mohanbhog, and other mithai). As in Guyana, it is a tradition to distribute sawine and sirni (maleda) to neighbours, friends and relatives.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
