Muslims celebrate Eid, ending Ramadan holy month

KABUL, June 4 (Reuters) - Muslims around the world
celebrated the Eid-al-Fitr religious holiday on Tuesday, marking
the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan.
Like the start of Ramadan, during which believers abstain
from eating and drinking during daylight hours, Eid-al-Fitr
depends on the sighting of the moon and its celebration varies
in different countries. The day begins with early morning
prayers and then family visits and feasts.
In the Afghan capital Kabul, families celebrated with a
stroll in a central park, and children played on a carousel.
"We came here to celebrate Eid because this day is for
happiness and all the people want to see happiness. The Afghan
people hope to have peace in the country," said Abdul Raziq, a
resident of the city.
Elsewhere, thousands of Muslims living in Moscow gathered in
and outside the city's grand mosque to pray. Security was high
and mounted police patrolled the streets.
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque, which has capacity for 10,000
people, was packed with worshippers, many of whom hail
originally from Central Asia.
After Orthodox Christianity, Islam is the second biggest
religion in Russia.
"We came to pray and the place is not important. The only
place we need is a place to put a rug, to pray to God, to take
part in this holiday - this is the most important," said Sivush
Veriyev.
Thousands of faithful packed stadiums in Addis Ababa and
Mogadishu and there were also mass prayers in the Nigerian
capital Abuja as well as Juba in South Sudan.
In Bangladesh, thousands of people have been scrambling to
Dhaka's ferry terminals and stations, packing trains heading out
of the city to return to their hometowns for Eid.
In Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan prayed at Istanbul's
huge new Camlica mosque, which he formally inaugurated last
month.

(Writing by Alexandra Hudson)