![]() He told me that the men hugged each other in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, who “hugged his men so they could feel each other, and celebrate brotherhood.” I told him that I loved that tradition, similar to the expression of peace by shaking hands or hugging at a specific time in the Catholic service. I asked the man about the hugging: Was it a specific tradition, or a spontaneous feeling that made them hug each other after the service? As I explained what each drawing was to the younger man, he translated what I was saying to his father. One man and his father came up to me and asked to see my drawings. After that, they left in groups with their wives and children to enjoy the holidays, everyone chatting and calling out to each other. It was a very sweet and sensitive gesture, and the happiness the men felt was palpable. He told them that today was the day to enjoy good food and being with their families, and to have gratitude.Īfter the prayers ended, the men wished each other “Eid Mubarak” (Happy Eid) and hugged each other. Then the men sat and listened while the Imam spoke to them. There was a series of bowing, kneeling, standing up, bowing, kneeling, etc., and prayers. The prayer service itself was fairly short, and the Imam spoke in English as well as Urdu, so I could understand some of what was going on. The park was full of men lining up on prayer rugs in the tennis and basketball areas. I decided to walk over and draw what was happening. During the weekend of Eid, the end of Ramadan, our local park was turned over to a Muslim prayer service on Sunday morning. My New York City neighborhood of Jackson Heights is home to a large Muslim population from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The following is an excerpt of one such sketch outing. The more we learn, the more we see that we may have different ways of worshipping, dressing, and living, yet we’re all basically the same. Today’s guest blog post was written by Sketchbook Skool fakulty member Veronica Lawlor. Veronica sketches on location regularly, and it gives her a chance not only to draw but to learn about other cultures.
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