Dozens of members from Erie’s Muslim community came together to celebrate Eid Mubarak.
The president of the Islamic Association of Erie reacted to the crowds and this year’s message.
Eid Mubarak 2023 is underway with members of Erie’s Muslim community joining at Veterans Memorial Stadium to hear the message of this year’s celebration.
“What we are celebrating today is a ‘Day of Sacrifice,’ that’s what it’s called, and this is to commemorate and to honor the Prophet Abraham,” said Ahsan Baig, president of the Islamic Association of Erie.
A board member of the Islamic Association of Erie said the event marks the Festival of Sacrifice.
“It tells us about how Prophet Abraham was sacrificing his son in the name of God, and God was happy about his obedience and his son was replaced by a ram,” said Ammarah Asad, a board member of the Islamic Association of Erie.
Following the gathering, Asad said prayers take place and then the sacrifice begins.
“We normally sacrifice the animal, and we divide it into three portions for the friends and the family and for the home,” Asad explained.
Baig added the idea of celebrating Eid Mubarak is to go back to their roots.
“Celebrate the prophet where everybody agrees on and build those relationships with all the faiths that we can develop some trust between them,” Baig said. “In this age where we see where materialism has become primarily the object of worship, the idea of going back is to put our faith and trust in God.”
