In Italy, Muslims in the capital and the surrounding region flock to the Grand Mosque of Rome during Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice to experience the joy of the occasions.
The Grand Mosque of Rome, established on an area of 30,000 square meters (320,000 sqare feet) with a capacity of approximately 12,000 people, has been serving the Italian capital since 1995 as one of the largest in Europe.
Standing in the Turkish hall of the mosque furnished with Turkish tiles, Nader Akkad, the Syrian-born imam of the mosque, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about the month of Ramadan, the enthusiasm of Eid al-Fitr in Italy and the status of Muslims in the country.
"The blessed month of Ramadan is, of course, an important month for the entire Muslim community around the world. The Italian Muslim community is also a part of this religion, so we also share the value and benefits of this blessed month of Ramadan. It is the month that all Muslims wait for every year. It is the month of forgiveness," he said.
"Of course, this blessed month of Ramadan ends with a feast. We know that the religious holidays of Muslims come after periods that are felt with intense spirituality. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated after Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha after the day of pilgrimage."
Imam Akkad stated that the Grand Mosque of Rome is in great demand during the Eid prayers.
Akkad added, "The Muslim community, after fasting for 30 days, comes to the Grand Mosque of Rome to experience and share the joy of Eid together. More than 10,000 people come at different times of the day. There is a custom of praying more than one Eid prayer here so that no one misses out. It is performed at least twice, sometimes thrice. The third time is usually for those who come from far away, those who cannot catch up with public transport early in the morning. Everyone is happy with it."
"The Italian Muslim community is one that is extremely well integrated into the social fabric of the country," he noted.
