Today Is Sallah

At the end of a 30-day period of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the country will mark the occasion with the celebration of the Eid el Fitr today, Saturday 13th October, 2007.

In view of the festival falling on a Saturday, Monday has been declared holiday by the government. Muslims enjoy two national holidays- Eid el Fitr and Eid el Adha.

The date could alter elsewhere in the world because of time differences and the time of spotting the crescent of the moon to signal the start and the end of the annual religious exercise.

Eid el Fitr is Arabic, meaning the festival after fasting which is characterized by feasting and moderate merriment.

The festival, fondly called Sallah in Hausa will be characterized by congregational prayers at the Independence Square and other locations throughout Accra and the regions.

At the Independence Square, where the National Chief Imam will lead other Islamic faithful in prayers, President John Agyekum Kufuor or Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama could be in attendance to deliver a speech as is characteristic of such occasions.

The decision on the Sallah date was reached by the National Hilal Committee of Ghana, an Islamic body which meets on dates for religious festivals and rituals, in consultation with the Ameer (Head) & Missionary-in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana and the National Chief Imam.

According to a release from the Mission, Ahmadi Muslims will say the Eid el Fitr prayers at Bustan-e-Ahmad, the National Conference Centre of the Mission at Ashongman, near Madina at 8am.
The congregational prayers are followed by mostly unruly behaviour by some youth, especially in Nima.
The Police in the suburb in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Watchdog Committee have drawn up an elaborate programme to tackle the annual anomaly.