Tens of thousands of Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha at Minneapolis Convention Center
MINNEAPOLIS -- Hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Minnesota are celebrating Eid al-Adha Wednesday. It's a day of prayer and community, and resilience after a year of challenge.
"We're all together. We're all praying together. We're all chatting together. This is the moment where we know our family is going to be there," Suweis Hussein said.
In a capacity crowd in the tens of thousands at the Minneapolis Convention Center, unity proved everything.
"This Eid is really about getting together. Everyone coming to one place and praying, worshipping God, and being super respectful," Ali Hussein said.
Multiple places of worship joined forces on a day faith leaders say sacrifice was top of mind.
"It commemorates the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to obey God as imam," Abdullahi Farah, executive director at Abubakar As-Sadique Islamic Center, said. "The Muslim community, they are present, it shows their contribution to the state and the city."
In a year marked by attacks on mosques in the Twin Cities, faith leaders say the crowds are symbolic, not just of the holiday, but something greater.
"That's a fraction of the community here. That's a fraction. In this Eid, the community is praying in so many different areas," Yusuf Abdulle, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America, said. "It's kind of like breaking away from the fear. People are not scared and afraid to stay home or come to this big crowd. That shows that people are committed."
Eid al-Adha celebrations continue beyond the morning and throughout the day, centered around family gatherings and big community meals.