Non Muslims celebrating Eid al Fitr

[Madridinmymemories]

I live in a very diverse area. This year and last I've noticed a huge increase in my white hippie mum mates attending Eid al Fitr (end of the Eid fasting) celebrations. Down the road from us they get big tables out and shut the road off, it looks a great street party!
My issue is that we (Non Muslims) haven't partaken in Ramadan so why should we get to celebrate the feast bit? If we were really into celebrating every cultural occasion then wouldn't we do the fasting bit as well?

I can't think of an equivalent for another faith joining in on our festivities without doing the religious bit first. Most people eat Easter eggs without having given anything up for lent. Most people nowadays just enjoy the present and food bit of Christmas without thinking too much about Jesus being born.
Am I just being grumpy? I think if I was Muslim I would find non Muslims just joining in the feast bit kind of strange.

@hopey - every part of christmas is stolen. Even the story of the birth of Christ comes from Hinduism.

I don't think it's the same as Christmas as not many people I know go to church at all over Christmas so it can hardly be classed as a religious holiday anymore

Just because you don't know many people who go to church?

Oh. Ok then.

@Madridinmymemories
I think we have to be mindful of British history which is filled with those who have picked the best bits of other cultures and discarded the rest.

I get exactly what you’re saying and YANBU, especially when you added the Bristol example. The concern is around white (middle/upper class) gentrification of cultures. Here are some examples of white affluent and privileged people co-opting an aspect of a culture without doing the work of the struggle behind it:

• The preponderance of straight white people, especially women overwhelming gay pride events, occasions or campaigns. It’s gotten so bad in some cities that the LGBTQ community has created a separate parade again to avoid being flooded with corporate sponsorships and people who aren’t LGBTQ.

• Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the US. It’s nowhere nearly the same holiday in Mexico as it is in the US. And a lot of the white Americans celebrating it are actually racist against Latinos anyway and want them deported. They’ll use it as an excuse to get drunk and eat the food of those people though.

• Any hip hop, jazz, R & B or rap concert. It is literally a sea of white people who have never gone through what the black or brown performer has ever been through. And then some get offended when the performer mentions anything really about the struggles of blackness, etc. Huge example: the FREAKOUT people had regarding Beyoncé’s “Formation” video and the album. Some people seriously forgot that she was black. 🙄😂

There’s more but I have real work to do. I very much agree @Madridinmymemories and thank you for raising the issue.

Well lots of Muslims dontfast either. In my culture it’s a bit weird to fast but most people celebrate eid at least a little bit.

I was trying to imagine how I would feel if people who didn't follow my faith, wanted to join in with the 'fun bit' of my faith/culture.

You would feel precisely the same as many Christians feel when Easter is turned into a chocolate-worshipping event and Christmas becomes an excuse for a shopping frenzy. The fact that you don't realise this betrays a shocking lack of awareness of the many, many people who continue to observe the Christian faith in this country.

Nevertheless, most Christians will still be delighted if people come along to a carol service or midnight mass, even though they are not believers. Therefore, as long as the people holding the Eid celebrations are inviting their non-Muslim friends to join them, it's fine to accept gracefully.

Your argument seems to be that because loads of people with no faith hijack Christian celebrations it’s completely different from people with no faith hijacking Muslim ones. Which makes no sense at all. You’re in danger of tying yourself in knots trying to be more woke than your white hippy mum friends.

@Madridinmymemories do you go to church? If not why do you celebrate Christmas? It really is exactly the same thing.

Also I'm a Christian and I don't fast for Lent. Not all Christians fast for Lent, oftentimes it can be about taking up things rather than giving up - such as committing to spend more time in prayer or reading the bible each day. I still celebrate Easter though as it's one of the biggest celebrations in our Christian year.

@teddybear45 arecomparing the birth of Christ to the funding of Krishna? Because they’re fairly different. People keep comparing them (and to be fair both fifuresshare a certain kind of humanism to lesser or greater extents) but I really don’t see the similarity between the birth story.

What better ways to break down barriers than by inviting people to join and and learn.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This tell you all you need to know.

There was a massive breaking of fast in Liverpool during Ramadan and EVERYONE was invited.
Because racism and hate in general is rife, It is great when people of all faiths or no faith can celebrate Christmas, Easter, Eid, Diwaly and many other celebrations together.

People hate what they fear and fear what they don't know. Breaking the barriers is the best way forward.

I used to invite Muslim friends for Christmas and Easter dinner. They loved it! And I loved being invited to all Eid celebrations.

Either you are oddly overthinking or you are trying to get people argue over it for nothing.

Btw Christmas are hijacked Winter celebrations and Easter are hijacked Spring celebration. Nothing to do with Christ, who was born during lambing season. 🤷‍♀️

Surely this is a case of OP living in their bubble expecting everyone a else's bubbles to be the same?!

Most of my Muslim friends don't fast and, as a friend, I am invited to partake in their Eid celebrations. In the same way that they are invited to partake in my Christian Christmas ones... No big deal!

I can't think of an equivalent for another faith joining in on our festivities without doing the religious bit first. Most people eat Easter eggs without having given anything up for lent. Most people nowadays just enjoy the present and food bit of Christmas without thinking too much about Jesus being born.

You've negated the first part by adding the second part.

Nice virtue signalling. So it's ok for Muslims to celebrate Christmas and Easter but not ok for non-Muslims to join in celebrating Eid?

My partner is Muslim, before his family had even met me they sent me presents for Eid. Yesterday we all celebrated together even though I'm catholic and dont partake in Ramadan. It was a lovely day and this world needs more inclusion and understanding. I think it's great that non muslims are taking part, particularly with all the bad press surrounding muslims of recent years. Anything to close the gap is a great thing. We also celebrate Christmas and Easter.

You saying Christmas can't be classed as a religious holiday anymore is at best naive and at worse offensive.

One, imho, important point.

It is their perogative whether they want or don't want invite non muslims. If you do street party, you must include the whole street. If they wouldn't want others joining in, they wouldn't make it a street party. Non muslims don't make their own Eid parties. They join into the ones where invite has been extended to them.

Am I just being grumpy? I think if I was Muslim I would find non Muslims just joining in the feast bit kind of strange.

You wouldn't if you invited them. 🤷‍♀️

I have Muslim friends who when they came to this country decided to celebrate the tradition of Christmas with their children, so they wouldn’t be the only ones in their school class not doing so. Everyone thought it was a lovely idea, not one person said you shouldn’t as you aren’t Christian. It’s about them partaking in a celebration, and as long as others are willing the same, surely this is how tolerance and acceptance for other faiths is gained?

In our area the local Muslim community purposely makes Eid al Fitr celebrations inclusive to reinforce integration with their non-Muslim neighbours.

In fact, all through Ramadan, they teamed up with a local homeless charity to share Iftar to anybody who needed a meal, Muslim or not.

Might be a bit weird to rock up at your local mosque with the fam if you're not Muslim, but anything that makes Muslim culture less "other" in our country, where Islam is quite obviously one of the main religions, can only be a good thing, surely.

Have a listen to the latest ‘food programme’ on BBC radio four. It came from an iftar celebration in Easton, Bristol. The local Muslim population from all backgrounds got together and fed thousands of all comers and made it perfectly obvious that anyone who wanted to come was welcome and it was their friend. Maybe next time you could go along Opie and take the children then you won’t be on the outside of it any more.

I don't see the problem with it. I'm Jewish and we always invite non-Jewish people to Passover meals, Friday night dinners and such. Share and share alike! Helps to break down barriers and misunderstandings.

British history which is filled with those who have picked the best bits of other cultures and discarded the rest.

well, people do that within their OWN religion and culture, it's not about the Brits.

Our local mosque runs a big family fun day near us and we are actively invited via flyers that all the community is welcome. I think it’s lovely and similar to church summer fayres etc. I’m a Christian but happily join in with my neighbours and their kids.

I'm Jewish and I celebrate Christmas (in a non Jesus Christmas tree, presents, too much mulled wine sort of way). It's quite normal for non-Muslims to be invited to join Eid celebrations by (usually quite open and community oriented) mosques and Islamic centres. I know my old synagogue used to get invited to attend by our Muslim neighbours.

Your op is weirdly contradictory. I think any sign of community cohesion and friendship across religious divides is to be welcome. What's to be grumpy about unless you work for the Daily Fail?

My mother's old neighbours were Muslim, and would invite her in for their Eid celebrations every year. She'd take presents for the kids, and in return not only was she well-fed but given wine as well! (TBF the wine wasn't bought especially for her - the father would drink with her whenever there was no wider family around!).

In the same way they would bring gifts to her at Christmas. Wonderful!

I think this is cultural integration at its best. The quiet, religious aspect of it is done within the faith - but with those not of that culture/religion being thoughtful towards it, and the celebratory aspects of it being shared.

I think another Christian religious event that is similar to this is Christenings. Many who never attend church show up for Christenings, the celebration and give a non-religious gift.

I lived in a Muslim country for several years and loved Eid. It was a joyful time when Muslim friends and strangers would greet you with Eid Mubarak and offer food and a warm welcome. It would have been rude not to join in!
If we all stick rigidly to our own identities and cultures how will we ever understand and appreciate our diverse society.