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330 East Roosevelt Road, Suite G5, Lombard, IL
60148 -
Ph.: 630.629.7490 – Fax: 630.629.7492
Contact: Farhan Younus, Esq. [Chair, CIOGC Media Relations
Committee - fyounus@ciogc.org, 630-936-5566]
PRESS
RELEASE
Chicago - Wednesday, December 4, 2002
CHICAGO MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF HOLY
MONTH OF RAMADAN WITH EID UL-FITR (FEAST OF THE
FAST-BREAKING PRAYERS)
The Council of Islamic
Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), an umbrella
organization representing over 500,000 Muslims throughout
Chicagoland, proudly announces the end of the Islamic holy
month of Ramadan with congregational prayers throughout
Chicagoland on December 6, 2002. Ramadan is the month on
the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain
from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of
dawn to sunset. Ramadan began on November 6, 2002. Eid
ul-Fitr (EED-al-FITTER), or "feast of fast
breaking" is a joyful time of thanksgiving.
Special congregational prayers
mark the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, in which Muslims exchange
social visits, give gifts, and seek to strengthen bonds of
community. During this holiday, Muslims greet each other
by saying "Eid Mubarak" (EED-moo-BAR-ak),
meaning "blessed Eid," and "taqabbalallah
ta'atakum," or "may God accept your deeds."
Many communities hold bazaars following the prayers.
Eid ul-Fitr is the first of the
two major Muslim holidays. The second holiday comes at the
end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. There are an
estimated 500,000 Muslims in Chicagoland, 7 million
Muslims in America and some 1.2 billion worldwide.
WHERE: The Eid prayers will be
held either in local mosques or in public facilities
designed to accommodate large gatherings. Some of
the locations for Eid prayers on December 6, 2002 are
identified below. A complete list of Eid prayer locations,
along with names of prayer leaders, is available on the
Council's website (www.ciogc.org).
Islamic
Foundation of Villa Park
300 West Highridge Drive Villa Park, Illinois 60181 |
Prayer
Times:
7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. |
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Muslim
Community Center (MCC)
4380 North Elston Chicago, Illinois |
Prayer
Time:
8:00 a.m. |
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Holiday
Inn – O’Hare
5440 North River Road Rosemont, Illinois 60018 |
Prayer
Time:
9:30 a.m. |
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Mosque
Foundation
7360 W. 93rd Street Bridgeview, Illinois 60455 |
Prayer
Times:
8:30
a.m. and 10:30 a.m. |
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NorthWest
Suburban Muslim Communities
Meridian Banquets Hall 1701 Algonquin Road, Rolling
Meadows, IL 847-952-8181
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Prayer
Times:
8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. |
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American
Muslim Society
45th Arena 4545 South Weston Blvd. Chicago, Illinois |
Prayer
Time:
8:00 a.m. |
For further
information, contact: Farhan Younus at fyounus@ciogc.org
or at 630-926-5566.
END
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