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Denver – United States President Joe Biden expressed a celebratory message on his Facebook and Twitter page ahead of the upcoming Islamic New Year holiday.
In his message, Biden sent his “warm wishes” to Muslims celebrating the Islamic New Year, as well as the holy month of Muharram. He also expressed solidarity in “honoring the universal values of justice, equality, and compassion.”
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, and is regarded as the second holiest month of the year after Ramadan. According to Islamic tradition, conflict is prohibited during Muharram, and Muslims often spend the month praying and reciting Quranic verses.
The tenth day of Muharram, known as the day of Ashura, is another important day of celebration for Muslims worldwide.
During Muharram, Muslims also commemorate the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. Ali was killed at the battle of Karbala in the year 680. His death marked a pivotal moment in Islamic history, resulting in the Sunni/Shi’a split that exists to this day.
Due to differences in calendars and divergences among religious authorities, Islamic holidays are typically not celebrated on the same day worldwide. Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, have announced dates for the Islamic New Year based on moon positioning.
Morocco’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has also confirmed Tuesday, August 10, as the first day of the month of Muharram.
But it remains unclear how the holiday will be celebrated this year, given recent government-announced shutdowns to curb the spread of highly transmissible variants of COVID-19. Morocco’s government has introduced new preventive measures, including the extension of the night curfew and the restriction of travel to and from areas with high infection rates, such as Casablanca, Agadir, and Marrakech.
