Muslims in Ukraine celebrated Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr, on Monday in the shadow of the ongoing war, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
A number of Muslim worshippers gathered at the Islamic Community Center Mosque in the capital Kyiv for the Eid prayers.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Seyran Arifov, the president of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims, said that many Muslims had to leave their homes because of the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine.
Some of them take refuge in other countries, while others fled to safer locations within the country, he noted. Expressing concerns over the war, Arifov called on the Muslim community to do their best to contribute to the country and its people.
Seyfullah Rashidov, a professor at Ukraine’s Izmail State University of Humanities, greeted all Muslims on Eid al-Fitr and wished peaceful and healthy life.
Ali Assadi, a Ukrainian citizen of Palestinian origin, said they wish the war would be over soon.
At least 2,899 civilians have been killed and 3,235 others injured in Ukraine since the war with Russia began on Feb. 24, according to United Nations estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.
More than 5.4 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million people internally displaced, data from the U.N. refugee agency shows.
