Eid’l Adha: A celebration of peace and solidarity

Aliyah Samporna together with her friends join the Eid’l Adha Al-Mubarak celebration at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. | Photo via Wenilyn Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For Aliyah Samporna, the Eid’l Adha celebration is about patience and solidarity.

Samporna is among the hundreds of Muslims who celebrated the Eid’l Adha in Plaza Independencia, in Cebu City, on Wednesday morning, June 28, 2023.

The centralized celebration at the Plaza Independencia was organized by the Office of the Muslim Affairs and Indigenous Cultural Communities (OMAICC) for Muslims in Cebu who could not be accommodated in mosques and those staying temporarily in Cebu, like Samporna.

Samporna, originally from Marawi, is in Cebu to finish her medical studies at one of the universities in Cebu City. She was with her friends, who were also from Marawi, during the Eid’l Adha celebration on Wednesday.

“We believe this is the Holiday for Sacrifice for our Holy Prophet Ibrahim. We observe patience since the prophet Ibrahim gisacrifice niya iyang (he sacrificed his) son,” she told CDN Digital.

In the Islamic faith, Muslims celebrate two key Eid’s. These are the Eid’l Fitr, which signifies the completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan, and the Eid’l Adha, which follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage at the time of sacrifice.

Meanwhile, about 2,300 Muslims in Cebu attended the centralized celebration of the Eid’l fitr on Wednesday.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was also in attendance to show solidarity with the Muslim community in Cebu.

As early as 6 a.m., they already placed their prayer mats on the plaza ground towards the direction of Mecca and recited takbir, followed by the Eid’l Adha prayers, and a sermon.

READ: Eid al-Adha and its interfaith meaning

Afterward, they took part of meals prepared by the city government.

The same religious observance also took place in Cebu City’s eight registered mosques.