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Worshippers
flood Holland’s more than three-hundred mosques in Ramadan
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By
Khaled Shoukat, IOL Holland Correspondent
ROTTERDAM,
November 11 (IslamOnline) – Muslims in Holland try their best, with
all means available to them as a minority, to celebrate the holy month
of Ramadan in the best appropriate manner.
The
role which is normally played by the government in most Islamic
countries, is played by the Muslims themselves in the form of Muslim
NGOs and private firms, which has localized activities for each town.
As
the streets in Holland show no signs of the special occasion, mosques
and Islamic organizations, as well as cafeterias in which the Muslim
community spends time, have reflected features marking the Islamic
year’s holiest month.
Worshippers
have flooded Holland’s more than three-hundred mosques, which are
more than three hundred, especially in the night prayers and for Taraweeh,
since during the working hours of the day, Muslims are unable to
perform their prayers in the mosque on time.
The
officials at Al-Nasr Mosque in Rotterdam estimated that the number of
worshippers that come for the night and Taraweeh prayers in
Ramadan are nearly 4-5 thousand.
Al-Nasr,
built in the mid-80s by the Moroccan community, witnesses two special
features during Ramadan. The first is the Iftar (the
fast-breaking meal) communal gatherings, which are sponsored by the
rich for the poor amongst the Muslim community.
The
second feature is the daily lessons which are carried out by the local
Du’aah (callers to Islam) as well as those who visit
Holland from various Muslim countries. Government institutions in
Muslim countries, like Al-Azhar in Egypt, the Moroccan Endowment
Ministry as well as the Endowment Ministry in occupied Jerusalem, send
those Du’aah.
The
Islamic university in Rotterdam announced that it will organize a
conference under the title "Islam and Tolerance" in
collaboration with two other organizations; the Tunisian Muntada in
Holland as well as the Tawheed Association in Rotterdam.
The conference will be held November 15-16 and will be attended
by many Muslim scholars and researchers in Europe and the Muslim
world.
The
Tawheed Association, one of the active Muslim organizations in
Rotterdam, has also announced its communal Iftar gatherings
and lectures every Saturday, a tradition it has carried out since its
inception.
Ramadan
also represents a golden opportunity for the work of Islamic charity
organizations who gather donations and employ many Du’aahs to
introduce the charity organizations and to encourage worshippers in
mosques and other Islamic organizations to donate money to help the
needy in many Muslim countries.
One
of the organizations who carry out this function is the Al-Aqsa
Charity organization which has been cleared by the Dutch authorities
of supporting terrorism.
Officials
in the organization said that Ramadan is special, and that they gather
donations to support projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Tens of thousands of Euros which they gather is immediately
transferred to the Palestinian people who suffer from economic
hardships due to the Israeli occupation and imposed siege, they said.
Muslims
in Holland are keen during Ramadan on spending time with their
families as they would in their homelands, and this atmosphere helps
the parents make their children feel the uniqueness of the holy month
and its importance for Muslims. It also makes them feel less homesick.
As
they meet, the families watch Ramadan programs which are broadcast
from Arab and Muslim countries, as well as watch the Taraweeh
prayers broadcast directly from Mecca.
