Northern Ireland

Muslims and non-Muslims gather in former Belfast DIY warehouse to celebrate Islamic festival

Enjoying the Eid al-Adha in the former B&Q warehouse on Boucher Road. Picture by Hugh Russell
Enjoying the Eid al-Adha in the former B&Q warehouse on Boucher Road. Picture by Hugh Russell Enjoying the Eid al-Adha in the former B&Q warehouse on Boucher Road. Picture by Hugh Russell

THE site of a former DIY store in south Belfast was transformed yesterday into a place of prayer and celebration to mark the second festival of the Islamic year.

More than 1,500 people - from babies to the elderly - packed into the disused B&Q warehouse on Boucher Road for the Eid al-Adha festival.

Eid al-Adha celebrations begin two days after the start of Hajj - the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city in a desert valley in Saudi Arabia.

Also known as the 'sacrifice feast', the festival begins on the 10th day of the holiest month in the Islamic lunar calendar.

Celebrations of Eid al-Adha vary around the world, but the main emphasis of the festival is on prayers and visits to friends and family.

In Belfast yesterday, the event also took on another dimension by aiming to bring different communities in the north together.

Attended by many of the estimated 6,000 Muslims in Northern Ireland, activities ranged from football to face-painting and food stalls in a bid to encourage people from other backgrounds to attend.

Dr Raied Al-Wazzan, from the Belfast Islamic Centre, said they issued the open invite to allow people "to understand more about the Islamic faith".

"Today you see lots of Muslim communities from all around Belfast gather here - it is a family day," he said.

"It is about bringing the community together so we invited some non-Muslims to join us after prayers to show them what a multi-cultural event we hold - you see children and families running about here.

"We wanted people to come and talk to us. We wanted to show them we are normal people, we are enjoying our lives, like everybody else.

"For most of the community here, particularly in Belfast, we are a multi-cultural society and we would like to integrate it even more with local people of Northern Ireland.

"More people here are getting in touch with Muslims and becoming friends and they are learning from them so they are more understanding now and we hope it will be even better in the next few years."

Among the thousands enjoying the festival was Deqa Farah, who lives in south Belfast.

"I have come here today with friends. It is a celebration of Muslims, people coming together," she said.

"It is our way of celebrating our festival."

Souby Kante, who is originally from west Africa but now lives in east Belfast, also attended the event with her partner and young family.

"It is wonderful to meet up with people, especially people we haven't seen for a while," she said.

"But it's also a time to meet other people."