Spirits high as festivities mark end of Ramadan

Abdulaziz Khelil, 21/2, joins his father and other men in prayer during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the Carleton University fieldhouse on Saturday. Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington, The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa Citizen

More than 1,000 people from Ottawa's Muslim community converged Saturday for an afternoon of buoyant celebration to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Carleton University's cavernous fieldhouse was party central for Eid-ul-Fitr, the three-day event that marks the end of fasting.

Children, some with their faces painted, formed long lines for chances to jump and play inside a half-dozen large bounce castles.

Meanwhile, people of all ages browsed through a bazaar where they could buy clothes, sign up for Arabic lessons, meet a member of the RCMP's national security community outreach team or obtain quotes on home security systems.

Outside, the smell of shawarma filled the air, while a local Somali business was selling platefuls of meat and rice. At the sweets table, there was a wide range of treats to tempt one's tastebuds, including freshly baked Turkish breads, coconut squares and baklava.

Some children, though, seemed far more interested in fluorescent-blue cotton candy and Timbits.

"When you break your fast, the food tastes so much better," said Karine Devost, who joined her husband and four children for the festivities.

One of the event's organizers, Mohamed Elshanawany, said Saturday's party came together after about four weeks of planning.

About 1,500 people were on hand by mid-afternoon, but Elshanawany said people were still streaming through the doors.

On Friday, Elshanawany estimated, about 10,000 people gathered for prayer at the Urbandale Centre at Lansdowne Park.

Elshanawany said recent controversies about the possible opening of an Islamic centre near Ground Zero in New York City and a Florida pastor's aborted plan to burn copies of the Muslim holy book were not on his mind.

"Today is more family oriented. It's more like Christmas Day," he said. "You take a vacation from what's happening in the world and you focus on getting together."

That the party fell on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States wasn't lost on him, though.

Elshanawany said there was some discussion about postponing the celebration.

In the end, the committee stuck with its original plan, but opted to keep the event low profile to respect the memory of those events.

See video from Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday at ottawacitizen.com.

Source: Ottawa Citizen