Eid el-Adha - The Future Interfaith Encounter of Mothers and Daughters on 3rd January 2008:

The Future Interfaith Encounter group of Mothers and Daughters met on Thursday, January 3rd, at Samira's home in Beit Safafa.

Samira especially prepared the special coockies of Eid el-Adha, filled with dates, as the Eid was the theme of this encounter, that took place two weeks after the Eid.

The encounter began with the Muslim girls sharing, each with a few sentences, about the Eid and what it includes.

They explained why it is celebrated: they told us that Prophet Ibrahim was ordered in his dream that he should slaughter his son and he saw this dream three times. He told his son Ismail that he has to kill him and his son did not refuse but said to his father that if you got this command you should realize it. When the Prophet was about t o kill his son, God send him a sheep with the angel Gabriel, as he did not refuse and was ready to sacrifice his son to Him.

The girls continued and told us also what Muslims do in this Eid: on the first day they get up early and go to the Mosque to pray. Then, after they finish praying, some of the people continue to visit relatives and wish them happy holiday and then go home to slaughter the sheep. And some do it the other way around: first slaughter the sheep and then visit and bless relatives.

The girls added that when the sheep is slaughtered, its meet is divided into three thirds: a third is given to the poor, a third is given to relatives and a third is taken by the owner of the sheep.

They also told us that on this Holiday people go to Saudi Arabia to fulfil the commandment of the Hajj.

They told us how happy kids are in this Holiday: they go with new cloths and get Holidays money, they visit their relatives and stroll.

During the Eid we filmed with a cellular phone the slaughtering of a sheep and we now showed it.

Finally the girls got up and as usual to play and have joint activity with each other, this time related to Eid el-Adha. They also danced Debka together and enjoyed as always.

Reported by Mariam Hussein



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