Ethiopian Muslims celebrated the 1438th Eid-Alfitr across the country with breaking a month long holiest Ramadan fasting.
This morning, hundreds of thousands of Muslims particularly living in Addis Ababa flocked to the Grand National stadium and attended the grand prayers, which saw attendance of higher officials from the Addis Ababa city administration.
In addressing Muslim congregation, Addis Ababa Islamic Affairs Higher Council president Sheik Muhammed Nur Ahmed Shafi and Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council President Sheikh Muhammad-Amin Jamal urged the Muslims to extend the good behavior and discipline in societal interaction they have shown all along the Ramadan fasting to all along every day.
Sheik Muhammed Nur Ahmed Shafi urged the faithful to pass-down the religious tolerance to generations to come.
“We are in an era where all religions are equal, and guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.
He urged the Muslims to involve in the nation building, and fight extremism.
Sheikh Muhammad-Amin Jamal said that the Ramadan fasting was completed in Allah’s way.
He urged the faithful to fight those who infiltrate into the Muslim community with a mission of promoting division and difference. “We all shall defend all who has tried to create difference amongst us and facilitate open discussion to deal with the problems,” he said.
Shiek Muhammed Amin Jemal also called up on the undocumented Ethiopian communities living Saudi Araba, who have been told to leave and now left with one day left from deadline to come back home before they encounter problems.
He said that the council will work with the government in rehabilitating the life of Saudi returnees, with calling Muslims help they by knowledge or by offering job opportunities, he said.
He also called the faithful to observe people in need in celebrating the feast of fast-breaking Ramadan.
Representing the City, Mayor Diriba Kuma on his part said that struggle the people made irrespective of religion and race lead to build a system where equality of religion guaranteed.
He urged the Muslims to actively participate in the country’s poverty alleviation efforts and its fight against backwardness along with expansion of religious institutions.
Diriba also called up on religious leaders to work on religious tolerance.