"We should not forget our brothers and sisters in Palestine," said a Muslim named Abdulrahman Musa in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
In Istanbul, Türkiye, worshippers at the Aya Sofya Mosque carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of the people of Gaza, where the United Nations has warned that more than a million people are facing famine.
Palestinians visit the graves of relatives killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Photo: AP
Eid al-Fitr in Gaza was also marked by a lack of joy, as Palestinians in the Jabaliya refugee camp mourned relatives among the more than 33,000 killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Amid bombed buildings, a woman named Om Nidal Abu Omeira sat alone and cried at the graves of her mother, son-in-law and grandson. All were killed in the Israeli attack.
"The kids kept saying, 'I miss you, where are you?' I told them he's in heaven. They started crying, and then I cried too," she shared.
Elsewhere, Muslims express gratitude for what they have after a month of fasting and reflection. Ahead of the holiday, markets around the world are filled with shoppers. People flock from cities to their villages to celebrate with family and loved ones.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, nearly three-quarters of the population return home for the holiday. "It's a good time to go back to your hometown, like recharging your batteries after almost a year away from home," said Ridho Alfian, who lives in the capital Jakarta and is returning to Lampung province.
Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, was packed with worshippers, where preachers called on people to pray for Muslims in Gaza.
"This is the time for Muslims and non-Muslims to show humanitarian solidarity, because the conflict in Gaza is not a religious war but a humanitarian issue," said Jimly Asshiddiqie, chairman of the advisory board of the Indonesian Council of Mosques.
"This is a day when we feel grateful for everything we have here, and pray for those who are facing conflict and poverty," said Azhra Ahmad, 45, a mother of five living in Berlin, Germany.
In Pakistan, authorities deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces to maintain security at markets and mosques. In Malaysia, Malay Muslims performed morning prayers at mosques across the country.
Ngoc Anh (according to AP)
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