Comment Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha – a major Islamic holiday marking the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia – as the easing of coronavirus restrictions allows worshipers to gather. President Biden called the celebrations “symbolic of the progress we’ve made in fighting” the coronavirus, but warned that the pandemic is far from over. “While COVID-19 restrictions remain, Muslims dressed in white will be able to gather from around the world for the first time in two years to perform the Hajj,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday. “It’s a symbol of the progress we’ve made in fighting this pandemic and all the work we still have to do to strengthen our recovery. Let us all take this opportunity to renew our shared commitment to work for peace, care for the vulnerable, and the pursuit of greater equality and opportunity for all people,” Biden added. Although many countries have eased public health restrictions, coronavirus cases have continued to rise around the world, an increase largely driven by omicron subvariants. Amid delta variant fears, Eid al-Adha celebrations begin Globally, more than 4.6 million new cases were reported to the World Health Organization between June 27 and July 3. The WHO says new cases in Southeast Asia — which the organization classifies as including countries with some of the world’s largest Muslim populations, such as Indonesia, India and Bangladesh — rose by 20 percent between June 27 and July 3. Some Eid celebrations have been marred by war, others are returning to their pre-Covid scale In some parts of the world, Eid celebrations were curtailed last year due to the pandemic, with strict restrictions on the number of worshipers allowed to enter Mecca. This year, Saudi authorities have allowed around 850,000 Muslims from abroad to make the pilgrimage. They were chosen by lottery and had to be no older than 65, have been vaccinated against the coronavirus and have recently tested negative for the virus. While Saudi Arabia has eased its national mask mandate, masks are still required inside Mecca and Medina, and there are some restrictions around the Kaaba, the shrine at the center of Mecca’s Grand Mosque. Outside of Saudi Arabia, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha with prayers and large gatherings of family and friends. The festival is joyous and an opportunity to share a meal with loved ones. This year, the holiday falls between July 9 and 13. Muslims and non-Muslims celebrate the occasion by greeting each other with ‘Eid Mubarak’. Many Muslims sacrifice animals – including sheep, goats, cows and camels – to mark the Koranic story of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened and gave him a lamb for sacrifice. The tradition on one of Islam’s two main holidays is to share the meat with family, friends and those in need. Even in Ukraine, as the war with Russia rages, Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha in mosques. In Russia, photos show large-scale public prayers taking place under the watchful eye of security forces.
