Albanians celebrate Bajram

TIRANA, August 8 – Muslims in Albania celebratedon Thursdaythe Great Bajram holiday, as Eid al-Fitr is known locally, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with morning prayers followed by feasts with family and friends. In Tirana, the morning prayer packed the capital’s central boulevard with several thousand people praying after 30 days of fasting from sunrise to sunset in the holy month of Ramadan.
Addressing believers ahead of Bajram, Selim Mu衬 the head of the Albanian Muslim Community wished peace, love and happiness in Albanian families. Albanian politicians including President Bujar Nishani, Prime Minister-designate Edi Rama, outgoing Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Democratic Party leader and Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha wished Albanian believers their best for the holidays.
“May this Eid Al-Fitr make us view the world and life through the eyes of the weak and poor. May we conquer through peaceful means, through sacrifices such as those of Ramadan and holy days such as Eid Al-Fitr the culture of hatred, of fighting, these dangerous rudimentary phenomena inherited from the dictatorial past. I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart at this great day,” said President Nishani in his message to Muslim Believers. The latest population census shows 57 percent of Albanians describe themselves as Muslim. The country is a largely secular and people of different faiths celebrate each-other’s holidays. Bajram is a national holiday, so banks and government buildings were shut.