Libyans are celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr (the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan) on separate days this year due to political differences that have persisted despite years of reconciliation efforts.
Religious leaders in east Libya, where the parliament is situated, claimed to have seen the crescent moon on Thursday, signaling the end of Ramadan, and declared Friday to be Eid.
Religious authorities linked with Tripoli’s national temporary government said they hadn’t seen the moon and that the festival wouldn’t start until Saturday.
“This is madness, and I pray it ends here,” said Ahmed Mesbah, a 50-year-old Tripoli resident who plans to celebrate Eid on Friday despite the continuous bloodshed. “In our group, fast and slow people are equally represented,” he remarked.
Normally, the date of Eid is established by the country’s official religious authority, but Libya has been everything but stable since NATO-backed uprisings deposed Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has been relatively tranquil since 2020, but the rift that started in 2014 between the warring east and West parties continues.
On Friday, it seemed like everyone in the eastern-controlled territory was celebrating Eid, but there appeared to be a separation between those who were celebrating and those who were still fasting in Tripoli and other western districts.
It bothers me that the East and West are so split over such a pleasant day. Mohamed Salem, a Tripoli resident who is still fasting, voiced fear that differences throughout Libyan society might deepen.
According to Tripoli Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, people should wait till Saturday. Friday was marked the first day of Eid by the parliament, which backs the opposition administration.
Disagreements between families in western Libya about how to celebrate Eid seemed to be tied to enmity against the mufti, Sadiq al-Ghariani, who is friendly to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In Libya’s regional and political disputes, the Brotherhood has taken sides against eastern-based forces and some Salafist Muslim organizations.
