On Tuesday, Muslim migrants gathered to celebrate the day marking the end of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Muslim calendar.
Eid al-Fitr is a time for Muslims to be grateful for the strength and guidance Allah has given them during Ramadan.
For some of the more than 1,500 Muslims on Randalls Island, this year was a test of their faith.
“They went through a real hardship from Africa to Nicaragua to Mexico, and until they get here, when they reached out to America, they felt like the burden lessened,” Moustatha Bione, a migrant from Senegalese, said through a translator.
Bione has lived at the migrant shelter for six months.
“He’s very grateful for with the support that they’ve received here. And he cannot really know where they will be without the support that they are receiving here,” the translator said.
NYC Health + Hospitals celebrated the day by serving up Halal meals at all its migrant shelters, something it already does every day of the year.
“Making every meal Halal was hard, but honestly, I think it was one of the most important things we’ve done,” NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President Ted Long said.
“Every single aspect of their religious needs are being met,” Muslim Advisory Council Chairman Sheikh Musa Drammeh said.
Drammeh has joined his fellow brothers and sisters each Friday during Ramadan offering prayer and community.
“I thought I was meeting 25 people, 30 people. When I came, I saw 400 people,” Drammeh said.
As people who gathered celebrate, they know their road ahead will be far from easy, but a slight gesture like this makes the journey slightly easier.
“Yes, he’s in a country that really respects human beings, a country that dignifies a human being, a country where if you work hard you can have a better life,” Bione’s translator said.
Originally, Randalls Island did not offer Halal food. But when NYC Health + Hospitals saw the need, they now serve it at all 15 sites.
Source: Spectrum News
