Last Tuesday May 11, 2021, two days earlier the Eid Al Fitr Holyday, Muslims along with their non-Muslims brothers and sisters held the first of its kind street Iftar meal program from Mexico Square to Bambis Supermarket, in the capital Addis Ababa.
It was early in the morning that Muslim worshippers along with their non-Muslim brothers and sisters, the youths, as well as religious fathers, and government officials started cleaning the street, rearranging it in a manner that can absorb a massive number of people and fit for the Iftar program.
By rolling out plastic rugs that stretched as long as 30,000 meters and rearranging plastic bottled water, they made ready the streets to accommodate 100,000 people and breaking day long fasting at sunset. In fact, such type of program had been carried out in other parts of the country on the streets in this Month of Ramadan. In towns of Dessie, Kombolch, Harrar, BahirDar, for instance, Muslims have carried out Iftar meal programs on the streets.
In actual fact, Ethiopia is a country where all religions are entertained equally irrespective of any differences, where mutual understanding and coexistence is part of their true identity of the followers and their day to day experience. And in a country like Ethiopia where Muslims and Christians are attached to each other on all occasions and support in times of adversaries, celebrating traditional and religious holydays together for centuries, the grand gathering for Iftar program and having it together may not be surprising to enjoy the vibe of Ramadan.
Rather the most surprising and exhilarating truth is that while Ethiopia’s internal and external enemies are joining hands more than ever before; and they are plotting day in day out to inflame distrust, hatred and detestation between the followers of the two religions, the Iftar gathering program has shown how Ethiopians are one and the same though they aimed to utilize religion as their weapon to separate us. Most importantly, the festival has proven them wrong by gathering hundred thousands of people (both Muslims and followers of other religions) together and aborting their evil intents.
From the very beginning, the program, as it was expressed by organizers of the event, has three objectives- to demonstrate that the Holy month of Ramadan is a time of compassion, sharing and supporting one another – which is in line with Islamic teachings. The Elderly and the needy were part of the Iftar program, the “Great Road Iftar in Ethiopia.”
The other objective was to break the African record of Iftar events – one that was registered in Egypt with 7,000 participants. The Great Street Iftar in Addis Ababa is believed to have attracted hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Muslims. The aim behind that was, “to enhance Addis Ababa’s popularity in the world,” it was reported by ENA. The third aim was to pray for the unity of Ethiopia.
Expressing his appreciation for all those who contributed to the success of the event, Jantirar Asfaw, Government Service Provider Institutions Coordinator in the City Administration said: “All religious rituals are our assets.”
BY STAFF REPORTER
The Ethiopian herald May 15/2021
