Philadelphia Muslims Celebrate 3-Day Holy Festival
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Muslim community in Philadelphia is celebrating a three-day festival with prayers and social gatherings.
Inside the Muslim American Society Center on Luzerne Street, 1200 people jammed into the mosque.
Outside, there were hugs, handshakes, and sweets with family and friends in honour of the Eid al-Adha.
A spokesman for the Center, Ribhi Mustafa, says it's also known as the "festival of the sacrifice."
"If you take a look around, you will see people from different walks of life, different social classes, different colors, and different parts of the world," Mustafa said. "What unites us is our humanity and brotherhood. We all believe in the same God, whether you are Muslim, Christian, or Jewish."
"I'm a normal American kid out here. I'm just Muslim. That's the only difference," said 17-year-old Khalil, a senior at Central High School.
Khalil, like everyone else, is trying to make sense of violent attacks happening all over the world.
"It's been hard on us Muslims, because of what's been going on with the terrorist attacks," he said.
The multi-day event is one of the two most important Islamic festivals.