Eid Prayers, held in Warrior Square Gardens on 28 June 2023 © A. Vasudevan

Eid Mubarak – celebrating Eid al-Adha in Warrior Square Gardens

Writer and editor A. Vasudevan was delighted to witness this year’s Eid celebrations – held in Warrior Square Gardens for the first time.

Eid is an important religious festival among Muslims worldwide and one of the highlights of the Islamic calendar. On the morning of Tuesday 28 June, men, women and children of all ages joined together for congregational prayer in Warrior Square Gardens, the first Eid al-Adha commemoration held outside of nearby Hastings Mosque.

A peaceful and inclusive gathering, it was both beautiful and moving to experience. Men and women, elegantly dressed in an array of colours, were unified as they prayed together against a backdrop of endless sea and sky, tiny children joyously playing nearby, as the Imam spoke of the importance of friendship, inclusivity, peace, compassion.

Steward Oliur Rahman of the Bangladeshi Association Hastings and Rother commented that Eid ‘is meant to be an outdoor celebration’, adding ‘we are delighted that we had the support of the community in Hastings and St Leonards to make it happen.’

At a time when our world seems so divided, events like this morning serve to remind us of the very good, the very bright, the very best of our multi-faceted, vibrant society.

Also in: Hastings People