[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E666]]
          CONGRATULATIONS TO MUSLIMS ON THE CELEBRATION OF EID

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 1998

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents 
and other members of the Muslim community in the United States and 
throughout the world who this month celebrated the holy day of Eid.
  Muslims celebrate two Eids (festivals) every lunar year, Eid-ul-Fitr 
and Eid-ul-Adha. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated after fasting for a whole 
month. During this month a Muslim distributes 2.5 percent of his annual 
savings in charity to the poor.
  Eid-ul-Adha, Feast of the Sacrifice, takes its roots from the 
Patriarch of our three great faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam--
Abraham. In recognition of the act of sacrifice and obedience with 
which Abraham was ready to sacrifice his beloved son, for the last 
1,400 years Muslims have followed Abraham's tradition by sacrificing a 
lamb at the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
  I ask the Congress to join me in congratulating the six million 
Muslims in the United States and over a billion Muslims across the 
globe who follow the tradition of Abraham upon this occasion of 
celebration, sacrifice and charity.

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