Low-key Eid celebrations in Pakistan amid flood fallout
Posted: 11 September
2010 1608 hrs
Pakistani
Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers at the historical Badshahi Masjid mosque in
Lahore
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Pakistani Muslims on Saturday took part in
low-key celebrations for the Eid al-Fitr festival, as millions still languish
without shelter after the nation's worst-ever floods.
Eid is the most
important festival in the Islamic calendar - marking the end of the fasting
month of Ramadan - but celebrations were muted on Saturday as the fallout from
devastating floods continues.
The deluges have left 10 million people
without shelter nationwide, according to UN figures, with UN spokesman Maurizio
Giuliano describing it as "one of the worst humanitarian disasters in UN
history".
Some 21 million people have been affected by the floods, which
began more than six weeks ago and have dragged on through Ramadan, with more
than eight million reliant on aid handouts for survival.
President Asif
Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani mentioned the "miseries and
grief" of the flood victims in their separate Eid messages to nation.
"We cannot celebrate the day with traditional fanfare and festivities
when millions of our countrymen have been rendered shelterless as villages,
towns and cities have been destroyed by the floods," Zardari said.
He
said: "For the Muslims, it is a thanksgiving day and I wish to greet all Muslims
of the world on this occasion."
In his message, Prime Minister Gilani
said: "This year's Eid festival is being celebrated on such a moment of history,
when a large part of country is under the devastation caused by pre-Ramadan
floods."
"Millions of fellow countrymen are homeless and facing severe
difficulties."
He said the nation had demonstrated come together with
generosity to lessen the hardship faced by the flood victims.
"No doubt,
brave nations face the challenges with courage and mettle," he said.
Gilani will celebrate Eid with flood affected people in different camps
all over the country on Saturday and Sunday, an official statement said.
The floods inundated vast swathes of Pakistan and killed 1,760 people
but disaster officials have said the number of deaths is likely to rise
"significantly" when the missing are accounted for.
Global cash pledges
have been slow coming to bolster rescue and relief efforts and the UN warned it
could impede relief operations as Pakistan faces a triple threat to food
supplies - with seeds, crops and incomes hit.
Advancing floodwaters
continue to threaten parts of Sindh province, with 19 of its 23 districts
deluged and 2.8 million people displaced, according to provincial authorities.
Fresh rains have also hampered rescue efforts in Sindh as thousands of
people trying to leave flood-threatened towns remained stranded. - AFP/ms
I think it was very unfortunate for the flood to continue during Eid, not to mention the fact that it affected around twenty-one millon people, however i thought it was considerate for the Pakistani Muslims to celebrate low-key instead of "full-key" for the Eid al-Fitr festival, as they know that millions still languish without shelter after the nation's worst-ever floods. Plus the nation had demonstrated come together with generosity to lessen the hardship faced by the flood victims. I amazed at how the nation is considerate & how they are willing to help each other out & not only caring about themselves.