Center for Diversity & Community to host Eid al-Ahda celebration

USD’s Center for Diversity & Community (CDC) is preparing for its first Eid al-Ahda celebration, to which all students are welcome.

Lamont Sellers, director of the CDC, said Eid al-Ahda, also known as the feast of sacrifice, is a holiday celebrated by Muslims all over the world. The holiday commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God.

The event will be held Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in room 219 of the Muenster University Center.

Eid al-Ahda also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim is encouraged to do once in their lifetime, he said.

This year’s Eid al-Ahda starts Wednesday evening and ends Thursday evening.

USD’s celebration will have its own spin on the holiday, Sellers said.

“It won’t be the traditional celebration that you would see around the world,” Sellers said. “This is really intended to be not just a celebration of the holiday for those who are Muslim, but also for those that are non-Muslim to learn more about it.”

Though USD’s celebration will include decorations and meal items that would be seen at a traditional celebration, it can’t be replicated exactly on campus.

A traditional Eid al-Ahda ceremony usually includes the sacrifice of a lamb or goat. Because the holiday is about sacrifice and giving, a third of the animal sacrificed is kept for the family, a third is given to friends and the other third is given to the less fortunate.

Muslims also have a tradition of wearing something new to the Eid al-Ahda celebration, such as a new piece of clothing or other accessory.

Falmata Gishe, a member of the Muslim Students Association, said he’s excited to go home to Sioux City to celebrate with his family and to go to the mosque on Wednesday night.

His family celebration starts with cooking and eating Wednesday night and prayer at 9 a.m. Thursday, followed by family time and a day of cooking and eating.

Because he has class on Thursday, he will also be taking part in the celebration at USD that night. Gishe said he’s looking forward to the food.

“I really like sambusa, it’s like an egg roll with beef, we wrap it up and fry it. It’s so good,” he said. “We celebrate with family and friends and go from place to place.”

Musheera Anis, dean of health sciences, will lead the event and discuss why the holiday is important.

There will also be additional information available for non-Muslim attendees who want to learn more, as a big part of putting on the celebration is education, Sellers said.

“Here in South Dakota and even across the country, there are a lot of misconceptions about Islam and Muslims and their beliefs and customs,” Sellers said. “This is to help debunk some of those myths as well as to educate and inform and hopefully bring some more attention to the rich culture.”

Sellers and Anis both said that Muslim students on campus are excited for the celebration.

“It’s a big deal and sends a good message that the university recognizes our holidays,” Anis said.

She added the event will be a good opportunity for first-year Muslim students to get involved on campus.

“We thought about them and what they are unable to do because we don’t have any mosques in Vermillion,” Sellers said. “It’s even hard in Sioux Falls and Sioux City. Being here during the week and away from family, it’s an opportunity for them to have a sense of home.”

The CDC is excited to host Eid al-Ahda for the first time, Sellers said.

“Like any other holiday, it’s all about good food and company, so anyone on campus is welcome,” Anis said.

The CDC is also planning to host a Diwali celebration in November, a Hanukkah celebration before finals and a Passover Seder in the spring.