Piñatas, pony rides and prayer mats filled Jefferson Park’s LaBagh Woods on Friday afternoon as Muslims from Chicago and neighboring suburbs celebrated Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration of the end of Ramadan.
Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims dedicated to prayer and reflection, is observed with fasting from sunrise to sundown.
Chicago’s Ojala Foundation, which aims to bring Latino Muslims, among others, together in their faith, returned to in-person Ramadan celebrations last year, though this year’s event brought out hundreds compared to smaller numbers in years past.
The circle of buffet-style food in one of the park’s gazebos was the main event, with the feast occurring after prayers. A variety of food from many backgrounds — including Brazilian, Pakistani and African cuisines — represented the diversity of participants.
That’s by design, according to Christopher Abdulkareem Pavlicek, a co-founder of Ojala.
“We put this together because we found the Latino population and those new to Islam were finding themselves alienated, and they needed a place to fit in but hang on to the culture they came in with,” Abdulkareem Pavlicek said. “This religion doesn’t tell you to change who you are.”
He claimed Friday’s prayers, conducted in Spanish, to be the first all-Spanish Eid prayer service in Chicago — a decision the group made because of how many of their regular attendees speak Spanish almost exclusively. He also said the group is hoping to open a physical location for their group on the West Side by the end of the year.
Saleem Khan, 26, spent most of his day tending the grills, where 40 pounds of chicken and 60 pounds of beef were cooked. He joined the group three years ago and has been helping with food at the foundation’s larger events as a way to give back.
Khan said he’d been distant from the religion most of his life because of stigmas in certain religious circles, including his own family, making him feel excluded because he was both Indian and Mexican.
That all changed when he attended an Ojala event and heard two members speaking “real, authentic” Mexican Spanish, joking around with each other.
“I didn’t have a community at all, and I felt rejected by the Islamic community,” Khan said. “[But here] I’ve been able to meet so many new people and grow my family outside of my family. … This group redefined what it meant to be Muslim for me.”
As for why he pushed for burgers and hot dogs at the celebration, Khan said, “They’re just easy to make and everyone loves them.”
The burgers were a hit, along with the tamales, rice and table of sweets.
Mourad Barkati, of Glenview, stacked two plates with food as he went down the line.
Barkati said Friday’s event was the first time he’d tried tamales, which he loved, while his wife, Amina, said she was partial to the burgers and sweets. The two agreed their three children — preoccupied with the youth activities while their parents ate — were the most excited after some “long days” of fasting.
“Maybe we cook in different ways, but our foods are their foods, too,” Barkati said. “Rice, bread, meat. … We all just enjoy different food from different places.”
