REGINA – More than 4000 people gathered at the exhibition grounds Tuesday morning to mark an important Muslim holiday. They were celebrating the Eid-ul-Adha; it’s one of two major holidays in Islam, which coincides with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, known as “Hajj.”
The morning’s prayer and festivities at Evraz Place also marked a growing Muslim population in Saskatchewan.
“It’s quite incredible the number of people, (watching) everybody kind of flow in. At the end of prayer, it’s quite packed. It’s fun to see; the kids are all excited,” said Sabrina Haque from the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan.
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MP Ralph Goodale and Mayor Michael Fougere also briefly addressed the crowd, taking to time to talk about the multi-cultural face of Regina and welcome newcomers. However, Haque said it was important for people to remember not all Muslims are immigrants.
She added that she encourages people to ask questions about the religion.
“I’m a teacher and kids will always ask me, ‘Where are you from?’
‘I’m from Regina.’
‘No! You can’t be from Regina.’
‘No, actually, I am from Regina. I grew up down the street.’
‘Well, why are you dressed like that?’ And then we can get into the conversation that, ‘That’s religion. I’m Muslim,'” she explained.
The greeting for this celebration is “Eid Mubarek,” which means “holiday blessings.”
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