Mumbai celebrates Eid with gaiety

Mumbai, Oct 2: The festival of Ramzan Eid was celebrated in the city on Thursday, Oct 2 amid traditional gaiety and enthusiasm, with people giving out a message of peace, brotherhood and a call to end terrorism.

Donning new clothes and skull caps, members of the Muslim community exchanged greetings and sweets, after completion of the 30-day-long fasting, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan. A special prayer meeting was held at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, seeking peace and harmony from the almighty and condemning the recent terror attacks in the country.

While leading the Eid prayers, Maulana Mohammed Zubair Parkar of Jama Masjid, one of the biggest mosques in Mumbai, said, ''Terrorism should not be tolerated. In Islam, even if one person is killed, it is like killing the entire humanity.'' Islam, like any other religion, disseminates the message of peace, he added.

Maulana Qari Wakar Ahmed, head priest of the historical Surti Mohalla Chotti Masjid in the Nagpada area in South Mumbai, also condemned the blasts in his sermon and advocated capital punishment for the culprits. However, innocent people should not be targeted in the name of investigation, he said.

Policemen were also seen distributing roses to people in many places in the city on the occasion.

UNI