Muslims across Kerala celebrated Id-ul-Fitr on April 22, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Thousands attended morning prayers at Id-gahs organised at the venues including Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in the State capital, the Kozhikode and Kollam beaches, and Marine Drive in Ernakulam.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan joined hundreds of people on the Kollam beach who gathered for the special prayers. Mr. Khan said the occasion puts forth the message that we should benefit the society, the State, the country and humanity as a whole.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a message, said Id-ul-Fitr expressed the sublime message of humanity. “For people who relentlessly strive for peace and equality in the world, Id-ul-Fitr supplies the inner strength of love and compassion,” he said.
Palayam Imam V.P. Suhaib Moulavi, who led the Id-gah at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, said the full facts behind the Kozhikode train arson incident of April 2 should be brought to light through a thorough investigation. “Islam does not encourage such attacks,” he said.
The Palayam Imam termed the attempts to remove references to freedom fighters, important secular figures, and the Mughal empire from textbooks an ‘‘injustice to history”. He urged the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to review its decision to delete the references to freedom fighters such as India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad from textbooks.
Across Kerala, family get-togethers and sumptuous feasts were also organised as part of the celebrations. The State government had declared Saturday a holiday in connection with the celebrations.
