Spirit of Eid shines through despite Sydney lockdown

It is perhaps fitting, notes Khaled Alameddine, that Eid - the Islamic festival of sacrifice - will this year be celebrated across Greater Sydney by residents in lockdown.

The religious event, which marks the end of the month-long Ramadan fast, is usually marked by large dinners and family gatherings.

But this year, worshippers are being asked to limit festivities to members of their immediate household.

"I just want to reiterate that we are asking that prayers be only performed in your house. And please do not have visitors to your home, including family members, and do not visit others," NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said on Sunday.

Mr Alameddine, the general manager of the Lebanese Muslim Association, expects the once grand celebrations of the past to be far more muted in 2021.

"Usually everyone is expecting people coming over, sit with their families, eat with their families and to go to the mosque on that day. It's probably the biggest occasion they have on the Islamic calendar," he told SBS News.

"This year, that's over. They can't do that anymore."

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For many families in his community, the pain of separation is felt strongest during what should be a joyous period.

"What makes it harder is they can't even see their relatives, their kids or their mothers - unless they're at the same address. It's really frustrating," he said.

"But I always say in our message to the community: 'always prove you are a strong community, you are a resilient community'. So let's do it together. Let's unite and get through this pandemic."

Gatherings replaced with online events

The Lakemba Mosque would usually welcome tens of thousands over this period, but instead Mr Alameddine says numbers inside the building will be limited to just two to three people.

The mosque will be live-streaming a special program for worshippers. 

"We remind them all the time that this festival, which is the second biggest in the Islamic calendar, is all about sacrificing," Mr Alameddine said.

"What happened this year... this proves that is the purpose of this festival."

Lakemba MP Jihad Dib notes that practising the faith during this lockdown means "doing the right thing and making those sacrifices".

Lakemba MP Jihad Dib

AAP

"The sacrifices that people are making is that they're sacrificing going to the mosque, which is such a critical part of Eid celebrations, of going to pay respect to people who are deceased, of getting together with families for the extended lunch," he told SBS News.

"The sacrifice that people are being asked to make is to sacrifice time with their family, and to sacrifice time with the community."

His plans for an in-person gathering to mark the occasion have been replaced with online celebrations.

"We're actually going to make sure that we look out for the greater good: follow the rules, follow the regulations, and try to be a little bit creative, try and do something a bit different," he said.

"We're going to be doing a zoom breakfast with our extended family. We'll be doing online pass the parcel and things like that."

Pandemic impacts trade and staff for south-western Sydney businesses  

For Halal butchers, the lockdowns have posed their own unique challenges.

Butcher Mohammed Khaled says sales have not seen a significant drop-off, but orders have changed.

"This year, it's a bit slow. There is now no party, no festival, they can’t celebrate with their families, so they didn’t do too much orders for Qurbani (meat)," said Mr Khaled, the manager of Akar Halal Meats. 

Perhaps more challenging for the Merrylands-based butcher has been adapting to new restrictions limiting the movements of essential workers in the city’s south-west.

"Yesterday was a bit confusing for everyone. Two of my workers can't come because they live in the trade-restricted areas. It has put us in a situation because they are the main butchers."

"Next week is going to be hard for us. These two weeks we're going to be short-staffed."

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