Asad Dandia was eight when he watched the September 11, 2001 attacks on television at his Pakistani-immigrant parents' home in New York. Then came the backlash -- years of Islamophobia as Americans processed attacks that had killed nearly 3,000 people. There was anger, suspicion, and worse. At 19, Dandia experienced a police informant posing as a friend to infiltrate his family home, part of a now-disgraced surveillance effort purportedly seeking to detect Islamic extremism. Today, though, the 33-year-old historian finds a New York transformed: one with its first Muslim mayor, public prayers in Times Square and new mosques rising across the city. "Twenty-five years after 9/11, we mourn, and we grieve what happened, and at the same time, we recognize that I am not responsible for what happened," he told AFP. "I don't deserve to be targeted for what happened, and I am as much of a New Yorker as anybody else in that respect," said Dandia, who leads wal...
Muslims across the world marked Eidul Fitr, celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramazan, during which they fast from dawn to dusk. The festival begins with the sighting of the new moon, signalling the start of Shawwal. As some countries depend on physical moon sightings, the date of Eid can differ by region. Consequently, nations such as Mali, Niger and Afghanistan observed the occasion on Thursday, while much of the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia celebrated on Friday. Worshippers offer congregational Eid prayers at the Kaaba in Makkah [AFP] Eid prayers offered by worshippers. — AFP Read: In pictures: Muslims celebrate Eidul Fitr around the world Eidul Fitr, which lasts for two days, is distinct from Eidul Azha that coincides with the Hajj pilgrimage. The celebrations typically begin with a congregational prayer held in open spaces, followed by gatherings of family and friends and festive activities. Sunni Muslim worshippers exchange greetings after Eid al-Fitr prayers at ...