Russian Moslems celebrating Uraza Bairam, or Id ul-Fitr

30/8 Tass 9

MOSCOW, August 30 (Itar-Tass) - Moslems across the world are making Id
ul-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast which is known in the
Turkic-speaking regions as Uraza Bairam and culminates the Holy Month of
Ramadan, established to remind the people about bestowal of the Quran by
the Almighty Allah.
Major religious ceremonies will be held in Moscow's Metropolitan
Mosque on the Prospekt Mira Avenue.
Apart from this, a mass prayer will be held in a pavilion of the
Sokolniki cultural and exhibition center.
Clerics on the Council of Moscow Muftis expect that the prayer in
Sokolniki will bring together from 5,000 to 7,000 disciples of Islam.
This will mean a big alleviation of the burden on Moscow's four major
mosques.
The muftis say that last year's Uraza Bairam saw about 50,000 people
get together for a prayer in the Metropolitan Mosque alone.
An action called 'The Ramadan Tent' is held on the Poklonny Hill
/Mount of Glory/ for the sixth year on end.
This year, the tent provided catering to the lovers of nighttime meals
- iftar - was open for the visitors daily from August 16 to August 29.
Along with the meals, it offered a nice opportunity for people of
different ethnic identities and religious backgrounds to communicate with
one another.
During the month of fasting, the faithful disciples of Islam are
expected to stay away from taking meals and water during the daytime.
According to the Islamic tradition, fasting provides the best way of
deliverance from sins.
Dietary exceptions are made for pregnant women, breast-feeding
mothers, children, the elderly, and the grownup men engaged in heavy
physical work.