Muslim holiday to fall on Sept. 12, not 9/11, to relief of clerics and police
HACKENSACK, N.J. _ Eid Al-Adha, one of the holiest Muslim holidays, will begin this year on Sept. 12 _ to the relief of many Muslim Americans who worried it would coincide with the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The timing of the holiday is determined by sightings of a new moon, and religious authorities announced that they did not see one on Thursday, pushing the holiday forward by a day.
Muslim leaders and law enforcement officials had worried that large gatherings of Muslims for prayer sessions in public places might be misinterpreted as celebrations on a national day of mourning and remembrance. Had it happened, the collision of the two occasions would have coincided at a time when hate speech and bias crimes against Muslims appears to be on the rise.
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command, and marks the end of Muslims' annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims mark the first day with prayers, followed by visits with family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts throughout the four-day holiday.
_The Record (Hackensack, N.J.)
