This year brought a lot of trials to the regions where most Ukrainian Muslims live. Many of them were forced to leave their homes and search for refuge in the other regions of the country; many people remained in their settlements in constant fear because of the military action going on (in Donbass) and possible persecution by the occupational authorities (in Crimea). But despite all the misfortune our country has been through, people being more wealthy than the others willingly share with those who face the most difficulties at the moment. The two regions mentioned above are no exception, though their residents ate in a worse position than anyone else in this country.
Donbass
Donbass Muslims’ strive for doing charitable deeds wasn’t cracked down by the military action in the region. The people not just attended the festive prayer (dozen and a half in Luhansk, about a 100 men in Donetsk), but also found means to perform the sacrifice! About 700 kg (beef and lamb) of meat became a wonderful gift for many people in that dashingly impoverishing region.
The delivery to different settlements also differed: they sent money to some places where the direct delivery wasn’t possible, so the lambs were bought and sacrifices on their behalf in situ, and used the public transport to get the packs of meat to the other places.
Crimea
About 1000 kg of meat were distributed to the poor families in Crimea, though the peninsula’s economy leaves very much to be desired: rapid growth of prices on the background of mass staffing reduction and shortening of the population’s income level, irregular products and houseware supplies, etc.
Five hundred Muslims or so came to the Simferopol Cultural Centre “Sozidanie” (Rus. “Creation”) on the festive morning in order to perform a joint solemn prayer which started at 8:30 AM (as well as at other mosques of the peninsula). The mosque was overcrowded, so some parishioners had to pray outside.
Pilav and sweet buffet were waiting for the parishioners after the prayer, and the kids, besides all the abovementioned, had their presents, cotton candies and a large bouncy castle in the Centre’s yard.
