Thai Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr festival

THAI FAR SOUTH, July 17 (TNA) - Muslims in Thailand, especially those in the Thai Far South, actively celebrated Hari Raya on Friday, marking the end of the annual Ramadan fasting month. In Yala Province in the southernmost Thai region, more than 2,000 Thai Muslims gathered at Nakhon Yala Municipality's Youth Centre for Hari Raya celebration with Zakat donations handed out to poor children. In Songkhla Province, a large number of Thai and Pakistani Muslims, donned in new clothes, gathered at Pakistani Mosque in Hat Yai District for their takbir and Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers, met with their relatives and neighbours, asked for forgiveness and made donations on this special occasion. Hari Raya is also a holiday in the Muslim-predominant Thai Far South and this year it falls on Friday, which is also considered a very important day for Muslims, as both Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers and normal Friday prayers are done on the same day, one in the morning and the other at noon respectively, making the celebration even more special. Meanwhile, representatives of Jaringan Badan Islam Masjid Dan Comuniti wilayah Yala (JABIM) or a Muslim community in Yala read an open letter to the Thai government, demanding the interim administration to review its policy on repatriating Muslim Uyghur migrants, based on human rights principles and human dignity. (TNA)