New York region celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr

NEW YORK, June 26 (APP): Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated in the New York
region on Sunday, with traditional zeal and enthusiasm.
Big congregations were held in mosques, hotels and open spaces.
The main congregation was held at the spacious Islamic Centre in New
York City where diplomats accredited to the United Nations also participated.
Special prayers were offered for the urgent need for Muslim unity and
peace in the Islamic world as well as for inter-faith harmony. In areas such as Brooklyn, a borough of New York City where Pakistanis are concentrated, prayers were also offered for the well-being and progress of Pakistan as their homeland confronts many challenges.
Meanwhile, The New York Times noted in a report that President Donald
Trump broke with a tradition that began in 1996 as he did not host an Iftar dinner at the White House this year. In the past, the dinner has been attended by leaders of the U.S. Muslim community.
Instead, Trump and First Lady Melania issued a brief statement Saturday.
Late last month, Trump issued a statement intended to mark the beginning
of Ramadan that was condemned by members of the Muslim community because of its focus on terrorism. “This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity that are directly contrary to the spirit of Ramadan,” according to that White House statement. “Such acts only steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology.”
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also declined to host an Eid
celebration this year, breaking a two-decade tradition of the department, the report said.