with a gathering of friends and family. He would be decked out in anew
suit for an elaboratefeast and the exchange of gifts, traditions of
the Muslim holiday.
Not this year.
With the start of Eid today, Ansari will observethe traditionally
festive holiday with prayer, as is required by the faith. Butthere
will be few new clothes or gifts, he said.A banquet will be held as a
fundraiser for survivors of the Oct. 8 earthquake in South Asia that
killed more than 73,000 people and left millions of othershomeless,
most in Pakistan.
"None of the families I know are (buying) new clothes," said Ansari,
whois involved in relief efforts through the Association of Physicians
of Pakistani Descent of North America. "In Houston, everybody I talkto
has said, 'No, not this year.'
'Eid starts after the sighting of the crescent moon, which happened
Wednesday. It comes at the end of Ramadan, the holiest month of the
Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast in daylight hours.
ObservingRamadan, which began Oct. 5, is considered one of the five
main pillars, ortenets, of the faith.
Another of the five pillarsis giving to charity. And many Muslims
donate therequired 2.5 percent of their assets during Ramadan.
Andy Ayub Badat helps the Islamic Circle of North America Relief
USA-Houston coordinate the purchase and shipment of two ambulances to
aid disaster relief efforts in Pakistan.
"Ramadan and charity are like brother and sister,"said Naeem Baig, a
spokesman for the Islamic Circle of North America, which is providing
earthquake aid. "We know from the life of the Prophet ... that during
the month of Ramadan his generosity is described as a 'rain that comes
with the wind.' "
Many Muslims, especially those of Pakistani descent, said they plan
totone down their Eid festivities this year. Somesaid they plan to
give themoney earmarked for feasts and finery to relief efforts in the
Pakistan tent cities that are being set up for survivors.
"It is very, very low key," said Anjali Khusro of Khazana Jewels, who
has experienced lower than normal holiday sales this year. "People are
not in the mood of celebrating Eid. They are in the moodof giving."
Ramadan is the most important time of the year for Muslim
charities.Since the federal investigations of Islamic aid groups with
suspected ties to terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, some
Muslims have opted to donate only to neighborhood causes.
But with the earthquake striking a predominantly Muslim country three
days after start of the holy month, donors have responded generously,
relief organizers said. Islamic Reliefhad to hire temporary employees
to keep up. "Donations havebeen coming in at recordpace," said Arif
Shaikh, spokesman for the nonprofit headquarteredin Los Angeles.
Since the earthquake, theagency has received $4 million in cash
contributions, Shaikh said. Money has been used to provide medicine,
food, winterized tents, mattresses and blankets.
Similarly, the relief arm of the Islamic Circle, ICNA Relief,
experienced a marked increase in donations. In the three days after
the earthquake the group received $800,000, Baig said. In Houston,
ICNA Relief volunteers held fundraisers at local restaurants and
collected medicine to send to Pakistan, said Ayub Badat, a volunteer
operation manager for the agency.
The group also raised money to buy two ambulances which will be
shipped Friday to Pakistan.
The Islamic Society of Greater Houstoncollectedroughly $275,000 in
donations earmarked for Pakistan, President Rodwan Saleh said, and he
added that the majority of the group's Muslims are of Pakistani
descent.
"Everybody is paying, paying, giving, giving,"said Badat, who plans to
travel to Pakistan next week.
Indeed, Muslim charities have been in overdrive since last year's
tsunami in Southeast Asia struck alittle more than a month after
Ramadan had ended, when people had already donated to their favorite
causes. Many charities, such as Islamic Relief, also supported relief
efforts after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Efforts in Pakistan will continue for years, relief groups said.Though
some are concerned that generosity may decrease with the end of
Ramadanwhen donors feel tappedout, Baig thinks the aid will continue.
"The Muslim community in North America ... is a very blessed community
when it comes to financial resources," he said. "I am very hopeful
itwill continue."
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