Newcastle's Eid ul-Adha celebration feels like home for Muslim community
Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago.
Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds.
"The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said.
"I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here."
The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha.
Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family.
Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle.
Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try.
"It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said.
"It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said.
Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March.
Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son.
Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah.
Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community.
"We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said.
"We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said.
Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk.
The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf.
"We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said.
Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat.
"I love cotton candy," she said.
"My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food."
Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh.
"Today is a lot of fun," she said.
"We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event."
Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago.
Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds.
"The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said.
"I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here."
The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha.
Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family.
Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle.
Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try.
"It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said.
"It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said.
Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March.
Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son.
Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah.
Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community.
"We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said.
"We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said.
Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk.
The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf.
"We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said.
Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat.
"I love cotton candy," she said.
"My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food."
Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh.
"Today is a lot of fun," she said.
"We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event."
Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago.
Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds.
"The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said.
"I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here."
The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha.
Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family.
Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle.
Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try.
"It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said.
"It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said.
Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March.
Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son.
Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah.
Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community.
"We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said.
"We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said.
Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk.
The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf.
"We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said.
Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat.
"I love cotton candy," she said.
"My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food."
Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh.
"Today is a lot of fun," she said.
"We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event."
Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago.
Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds.
"The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said.
"I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here."
The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha.
Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family.
Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle.
Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try.
"It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said.
"It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said.
Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March.
Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son.
Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah.
Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community.
"We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said.
"We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said.
Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk.
The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf.
"We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said.
Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat.
"I love cotton candy," she said.
"My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food."
Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh.
"Today is a lot of fun," she said.
"We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event."
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Gaza aid distribution halts, Eid marked by violence
Aid distribution in Gaza has halted after the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said overcrowding had made it unsafe to continue operations, in the latest disruption to its troubled relief effort. With severe food shortages plaguing the coastal enclave, fighting continued in many areas of the Gaza Strip. Local health authorities said 16 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, mostly in northern Gaza, while the Israeli army said four of its soldiers were killed and five were wounded by an explosion in a building in Khan Younis to the south. In a day of confusing messaging, the GHF first announced its distribution sites in southern Gaza were closed, then it revealed that it had actually handed out food, before saying that it had had to close its gates as a precautionary measure. "The distribution was conducted peacefully and without incident; however, it was paused due to excessive crowding that made it unsafe to proceed," it said in a statement. As Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam's most important holidays, Eid al-Adha, Israeli forces continued military operations that they say are needed to root out and destroy Hamas militants. The Israeli military was rocked by the deaths of four soldiers in a booby-trapped building, which brought the army death toll to eight since the start of June. "It is a sad and difficult day," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. The army earlier issued new evacuation orders for areas in and around Gaza City, warning of an imminent attack. With many residential areas of Gaza reduced to rubble by months of fighting, locals held Eid al-Adha prayer services in the open, next to bombed-out mosques and homes. "As you can see, we are holding Eid prayers, while the bombing, shelling and planes are ongoing," said one woman, Umm Mahmoud, in Khan Younis. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It suspended operations on Wednesday and asked the Israeli military to review security protocols after hospital officials said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points between June 1-3. Eyewitness blamed Israeli soldiers for the killings. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots on two days, while on Tuesday it said soldiers had fired at Palestinian "suspects" who were advancing towards their positions. The army said on Friday that Gazans should only move to and from the GHF distribution centres from 6am to 6pm local time. Outside daylight hours these access routes should be considered a closed military zone. "Entering it poses a significant risk to your life," military spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X. However, many Gazans say they have to walk for hours to reach the sites, meaning they have to start traveling well before dawn if they are to stand any chance of receiving food. Palestinians have described the distribution process as chaotic and poorly organised, and say limited supplies have led to early morning crushes on access routes. On Friday, the GHF said it had delivered 8160 boxes of food, providing approximately 471,240 individual meals. Since launching its operations, the GHF has opened three sites, but over the past two days, only two of them have been functioning.
Perth Now
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The Advertiser
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Newcastle's Eid ul-Adha celebration feels like home for Muslim community
Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago. Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds. "The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said. "I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here." The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha. Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family. Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle. Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try. "It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said. "It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said. Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March. Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son. Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community. "We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said. "We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said. Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk. The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf. "We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said. Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat. "I love cotton candy," she said. "My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food." Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh. "Today is a lot of fun," she said. "We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event." Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago. Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds. "The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said. "I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here." The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha. Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family. Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle. Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try. "It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said. "It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said. Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March. Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son. Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community. "We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said. "We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said. Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk. The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf. "We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said. Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat. "I love cotton candy," she said. "My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food." Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh. "Today is a lot of fun," she said. "We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event." Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago. Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds. "The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said. "I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here." The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha. Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family. Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle. Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try. "It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said. "It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said. Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March. Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son. Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community. "We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said. "We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said. Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk. The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf. "We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said. Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat. "I love cotton candy," she said. "My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food." Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh. "Today is a lot of fun," she said. "We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event." Bushra Quaran and Muhammad Arslan celebrated their first Eid in Newcastle since moving from Pakistan seven months ago. Cuddling their one-year-old boy, Muhammad Zakwan Arslan, Ms Quaran said they felt at home on Friday morning at the Newcastle Foreshore train sheds. "The prayer was a big gathering, it felt like our homeland," she said. "I got a bit emotional when I saw all the different cultures coming together here." The family joined hundreds of others in the Newcastle Muslim community on June 6 to celebrate Eid ul-Adha. Children and adults alike shared food and caught up with friends and family. Some kids rode ponies, patted chickens and fluffy goats, while others burnt off energy on the jumping castle. Mayfield Mosque Imam Mohamed Hamed said there were more than 45 different backgrounds celebrating, with about 20 types of cuisines to try. "It's a good chance for them to meet if they don't have a chance throughout the year because of daily life," Imam Hamed said. "It's a social gathering that combines everyone from different backgrounds, and they celebrate as they used to do in their countries," he said. Eid ul-Adha is the second Eid celebration of the year, with Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan in March. Imam Hamed said today's celebration coincided with people making a pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as well as marking the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham and his wife and son. Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. Pakistani friends Rabia Basri and Ramsha Parvez said they came to the foreshore to participate in Namaz (prayers) and meet with the rest of their community. "We celebrated Eid al-Fitr in March, and these are the two most important festivals in the year," Ms Basri said. "We wait the whole year to come and celebrate," she said. Ms Parvez said they shared a sweet treat called seviyan, which was a vermicelli pudding made with milk. The friends were also thrilled to wear their traditional suits with a dupatta, a long shawl-like scarf. "We don't get to wear it often, as we wear western clothes to work, we really feel like it is a special day for us," Ms Parvez said. Ms Parvez's nine-year-old daughter, Eshaal Parvez, only had eyes for one treat. "I love cotton candy," she said. "My favourite part is how we are having fun and how we get to enjoy and eat food." Anika Tasnim took a selfie with her friends and family, also from Bangladesh. "Today is a lot of fun," she said. "We are just really thankful to the Mayfield Mosque for putting on the event."
