Eid Al Adha prayer for Muslims in Athens

Source:  City Press

Translation © Muslim Association of Greece

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Yesterday’s public player that was performed by at least 13.000 Muslims in twelve different points of Attica was unprecedented for what is usually happening in the capital. This public manifestation worked as triggering event for the development of a Mosque in Athens but as well as the expected social reactions.

The prayer, which was performed due to the occasion of celebrating the first day of the Muslim feast Eid-Al-Adha (equivalent to the sacrifice of Abraham) started at 7:40 in the morning and lasted approximately three hours. As the Greek Police stated, the Muslims’ manifestations were attended by 4.000 people at Aigaleo, 2.000 at Kiprou str.  at Moschato, 500 at Propilea were the prayer took place under the initiative of the Muslim Association of Greece, 600 at Attica square, 1.000 in the old Racetrack Court in Faliro, 1.000 at Karamanlis Avenue at Menidi, 300 at the in the basketball court of Elefsina, 250 at Aspropirgos and 1.000 in the court of Ierotheos at Peristeri.

All the manifestations took place peacefully, with the exception though of Attica square. There, a group of habitants attacked with eggs and with other objects against the offhand prayer site, though other habitants had placed on their balconies Greek flags, they put loud music inorder to interrupt the process of the prayer.

The Request for an Official Prayer Site

Yesterday’s prayer was the third one that took place in a public place, (previously it had been performed in Kotzia square and in Olympic stadium) but it was the most impressive. The representatives of the Muslims referred again on their claim for the development of an official prayer site. Mr. K. Aivaliotis representative of LAOS’s party stated that this is a “demonstration of power in Athens by African Muslims.”

 “In the times we live in, it is imposed, in the civilisation we claim we are having and which governs our society, and it is a duty of the Greek state, to facilitate each person who wants to perform his religious duties” the Government’s representative, G. Petalotis, highlighting that “there is a legal commitment made to create a Mosque in Athens, in order for our fellow Muslim citizens to perform with safety and liberty their religious rights.”

In Athens… by Coach

 “Athens needs many , small sized religious prayer sites for the immigrants”, the journalist Stavros Theodorakakis claimed yesterday while on air on the radio station Flash, who due to his show for the flux of immigrants in Greece through the land borders( it will be presented next Sunday) , he stayed  for a few days in Evros.

 “ The loops that originate from Turkey, meaning the slavers and the traffickers have realised that practically the Greek Authorities have no practical means to oppose against the flux of unarmed immigrants” Mr.Theodorakis stated, though Mr. Salamagkas, police officer of Orestiada , referred, participating in the same show , that the Authorities after the capture of the immigrants and their identification, they release all those who cannot be deported (such as Palestinians or  Afghanis for whom there are specific international treaties about their immunity.) They are given a piece a paper referring that they should leave the country within thirty days  and they leave them free outside the detention centres where they are temporarily located. There usually there is a coach awaiting them who transports them in Athens.

Translator:  Myrto Zacharof

Press Release: Eid Al-Adha in Athens

 

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The Muslim Association of Greece is celebrating Eid Al Adha

(honoring the sacrifice of Abraham)

with a festive prayer with honored guest

Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Baddari of Al Azhar University Cairo

on Tuesday November 16, 2010, 7.30-8.30am

Propylea of Athens University, Panepistimiou Street, Metro Panepistimio

You are all welcome. Your presence will honor us.

 

Contact info:

Anna Stamou +30 6972838164

Hajj days start this Tuesday

Most likely, Eid Al-Adha is going to fall on November 27, 2009.  That means the best 10 days of the year are from November 17-26.  If you are reading this now, most likely you are not going for Hajj this year but you still can get blessings by:

• Fasting
• Saying subhan Allah wal Alhamdulillah, wa La illah illah Allah wa Allahu akbar
• Doing extra voluntary deeds of prayer, charity, sacrifice an animal etc.
• Repentance
• Dhikr

In the coming days, I plan to write some more about Hajj, but for now, this is a nice video to get in the mood for 10 best days:

 

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Footnotes:

Hajj – pilgrimage to the first house of God built by Prophet Abraham and his son

Subhan Allah – glory be to God

Alhamdu liillah – all praise (and thanks) be to God

La illah illah Allah – there is no object worthy of worship except God

Allahu akbar – God is the greatest

Dhikr – remembrance of God

Dark cloud over this year’s Eid in Athens

Men, women and children from many cultures showed up early at the Olympic Stadium on Monday morning for the Eid Al-Adha prayer. Some of them were wearing their traditional outfits like the Africans, Indoniesians etc.

As happy as we were, we prayed together under the dark cloud of the assassination of the teenager and the riots after in the center of Athens just the day before. Many were relectant to come because various roads were already blocked but the metro was open and most preferred it.

It was a day of joy, of family, of brotherhood and a warm atmosphere hugged us all while people exchanged wishes and then left for their festive dinners in their homes. Some had to go back to work as they weren’t as lucky and some of them – the luckiest of all – were absent because they were in Mecca for the Hajj.

Eid mubarak – Hronia Polla and enjoy the photos below.