Muslims Mark End of Ramadan With Eid Celebrations

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Jul 28, 2014, 11:50 AM ET
By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press
Associated Press

Millions of Muslims across the world celebrated the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday Monday, which marks the end of the month long fast of Ramadan.

The three-day-long Eid al-Fitr holiday is a time to celebrate the completion of Ramadan, a month devoted to worship and repentance during which observing Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset every day.

But the mood was dark for millions of people affected by the Syrian civil war, the Gaza war and the militant advance in Iraq. Many were just too busy trying to survive to observe the holiday.

Beyond the Middle East, the few remaining Muslims in the Central African Republic’s capital city ventured out to a mosque under the watchful guard of armed peacekeepers. Others like Aminata Bary stayed at home, still too fearful to venture out for fear of attack from Christian militias who drove thousands of Muslims from the capital this year.

(View the complete story here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/muslims-mark-end-ramadan-eid-celebrations-24738271