How to Celebrate Eid al-Adha Like an American

[elleng]

'The Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage, begins Monday, Sept. 12. For a few weeks, it looked as if the holiday was going to fall the day before: Sept. 11.

Not ideal timing.

On that horrific day 15 years ago, foreign Muslim extremists hijacked four planes and killed 2,996 people, and every day since then American Muslims have had to ask: What can I do to make you stop seeing me as a security threat?

Specifically, in my case, how can I, a dorky, brown, Muslim dude born in California and raised on Genesis and ’80s action movies, make you feel comfortable when you see me board a plane?

I guess one thing I could do is not celebrate a Muslim holiday on 9/11.

When I was growing up in Fremont, Calif., we marked Eid al-Adha by waking up early, wearing our finest shalwar khameez and heading out to the mosque or the fairgrounds. The holiday, which also honors Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael, calls for a “qurbani,” or animal sacrifice, and then distributing the meat to your family, neighbors and especially the poor. In my home, that meant weeks of glorious, halal lamb biryani and enough organs in the freezer to make Hannibal Lecter weep with joy.

The date of the holiday changes every year, since it is determined by the lunar calendar. This creates many awkward moments for Muslim employees and students when asking for the day off: “Um, I’ll need to take Monday off. Or Tuesday. I’ll let you know, probably by Friday.”'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/opinion/sunday/how-to-celebrate-eid-al-adha-like-an-american.html?

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended. Another excellent post.

[elleng]

2. Thanks, guillaumeb.

Need for 'excellent posts' increases exponentially, every day.

[guillaumeb]

3. Agreed.

Something is needed to combat the absolute wave of hate that Trump is attempting to focus.

I refuse to believe that there are that many bigots, Islamophobes, and misogynists in the country.

I think much of the anger coming from some Trump supporters is that they realize on a sunconscious level that their kind is losing and losing relevance. It is not 1950 and 1950 will never return. And they resent the loss of the America they remember.

[Mosby]

4. it would have been nice if the author

Made it clear that the Jewish/Christian bible states that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac not Ishmael on the Temple Mount.

The holiday, which also honors THE MUSLIM BELIEF THAT Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael, calls for a “qurbani,” or animal sacrifice, and then distributing the meat to your family, neighbors and especially the poor.

Would that have been so hard?

[LuvNewcastle]

5. I noticed that too.

Was the writer or anyone involved in the editorial process aware of that story? You'd think the NY Times would be more thorough. The big rub through the centuries has been whether the Ishmaelites or the Israelites were favored by Abraham and God. I guess mentioning details like that might challenge their readers to look a little further into the stories and learn something. Can't have that, no sir.

[riderinthestorm]

6. Great article ellen! Thanks for this. nt