Community spirit shines in Eid al-Adha celebrations in Australia’s northwest
Muslim communities in Karratha, Carnarvon, Cocos Islands come together for Eid al-Adha, despite challenges and distance
PERTH, Australia (MNTV) — Eid al-Adha celebrations took on a unique flavor in Western Australia’s north-west, where community members gathered in unconventional ways to mark one of the most important dates on the Islamic calendar, reports ABC News.
In Karratha and Carnarvon, worshippers had no fixed place of prayer for Eid al-Adha, a stark contrast to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, where the Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) blended with the sound of drums and violins to ring in the holy festival.
In Karratha, about 1,500 kilometers north of Perth, belated Eid celebrations were held at a hired council venue.
Imraan Kolia, president of the Karratha Muslim Community Association, highlighted the challenges faced by the community. “We are looking for a dedicated space that we could call our home,” he said, emphasizing the need for a permanent mosque in Karratha.
The Muslim community in Karratha is small but tight-knit, with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Despite the transience of the town, the community came together for Eid festivities, involving prayers, gift-giving, and family visits.
About 150 people attended the celebrations, which also featured jumping castles and face painting at the Tambrey football oval.
Men and women gathered for prayers, led by an imam, before indulging in traditional foods and sweets. Children laughed and played, enjoying the festive atmosphere. The community’s resilience and determination to come together, despite the lack of a permanent mosque, were palpable.
In Carnarvon, a small farming town, the Muslim community consists of about 50 people, mostly from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Like Karratha, there is no fixed space for worship, and this year, no communal prayer was held.
Shzahaer Iezayed Abdullah bin Mahalan, who goes by Lang, spent his Eid working at a kebab shop. “I just talked to my family in Malaysia … I really miss them when Eid comes. But the only thing I can do is video call them,” he said.
In contrast, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia’s most remote Muslim community, celebrated Eid al-Adha with unique traditions. The islands’ senior imam, Haji Adam Anthony, explained that the special variety of Islam practiced by the Cocos Malay merged distinct cultures from across the world. “That’s because a very long, long time ago, our ancestors brought this culture and tradition,” he said.
The islands’ Eid celebrations featured traditional dancing, tamarind drum playing, and performances on the Cocos biola, a fiddle introduced by the Clunies-Ross family. Haji Adam emphasized the importance of preserving cultural traditions. “[Without] using drum or violins and so forth … we lost our culture and tradition,” he said. “The elder people still like to keep this.”
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