Eid-ul-Fitr 2021
Seeking justice for the Palestinians.
For many Muslims, Eid-ul-Fitr begins at sundown tonight. Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration of the month of Ramadan. Islam’s ninth lunar month, the holiest month in the religion, when Muslims fast without water from before dawn until sundown for 30 days straight. This time is supposed to be one of peace, reflection, sacrifice, gratitude and a time where the focus is on giving to others, especially the poor, marginalized and oppressed.
The last ten days of Ramadan are considered the most holy. In this holy time, at one of the holiest sites in the world, Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Palestinian worshipers were terrorized by Israeli state-sanctioned violence. This escalation followed protests against evictions of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, a violation of Israel’s obligations under international law per the United Nations. It’s these events that have led to the escalation in violence that’s currently all over the news, resulting in Hamas firing rockets into Israel and Israel firing missiles into Gaza — all of which I strongly condemn.
Tomorrow many Muslims will be wishing each other ‘Eid Mubarak’ in celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr. Typically, many elected officials join in on Eid greetings on social media, whether they are Muslim or not. Many of those elected officials have chosen to remain silent on the violence against Palestinians mentioned above.
We’re taught to stand up for what is right even when we are standing alone. What’s going on with the Palestinians is not just in any way, shape or form. Attacking protestors at a holy site as people pray during a holy time is not just — it’s terror.
If you’ve chosen to remain silent on these issues this long, please keep your ‘Eid Mubarak’ to yourself. We do not need your empty words. We need you to stand up for what is just even if it is inconvenient for you.
Eid Mubarak
