Notes from America
Celebrating the Eid at Mall of America
By Ahmed Tharwat
Ramadan, the glorious fasting month for Muslims has finally came to an end, no more Iftar under the big tent at Marina restaurant, no more California Majoul dates to break the long day fast, and no more evening conversation while sipping tea and munching sweets Katife, Konafah. It is like 30 days of Christmas has just vanished before your eyes. Now it is time for Eid el Fitr, (the breaking fast feast) a Muslim celebration of food and what is good in life, a realization that life goes on even after Ramadan.
You have been for 30 days cleansing your body and your soul of all excessiveness of life. Now it is time for Muslims in America to go out and unapologetically celebrate the end of Ramadan Eid in post 9/11 America: this is not as simple as it seems.
The Eid celebration starts by rushing to the convention center in downtown Minneapolis; where thousands of Muslims mostly Somalis walk in groove dressed in traditional clothes: they are heading for early Eid Prayer. The traffic is jammed, lots of drivers are cautiously wondering what convention this maybe! On the same day, there was a wedding trade show at the convention center, where lots of young women with their fashionably wedding gowns peacefully intermingle with Muslim women whom their dresses seem to consult with only one fashion design.
