Hundreds gather in Montville to celebrate Eid al-Fitr as NJ Muslims mark end of Ramadan

William Westhoven, Morristown Daily Record
·4 min read
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MONTVILLE — As the sun set Thursday evening, Muslims here and around the world celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the holiday

In Montville, the Muslim community for the first time gathered at the township's outdoor amphitheater for a public celebration they hope will become an annual event.

More than 200 people attended, including many children who took to running and playing around the park-like setting while the adults spoke.

"I greet you with the Muslim greeting of peace, which is 'as-salamu alaykum,'" said resident Lara Suwan, who led a group of volunteers who staged the inaugural event.

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Suwan got the effort going with a post in the Montville Moms group on Facebook that caught the eye of Mayor Matthew Kayne.

"I have always attended other Ramadan Eid celebrations across towns in New Jersey," Luwan said. "As a Muslim and a Montville resident, knowing that our town has always been dedicated to respecting diversity, I thought this would be a wonderful event to have in our hometown."

Kayne quickly agreed to endorse and fast-track the event. As word spread of the celebration, it was moved from Town Hall to the amphitheater off Horseneck Road in anticipation of a large crowd.

"As I look out, I see so many friends and so many great members of our community here in town," said Kayne, who wished his audience "Eid Mubarak" ("blessed feast" in Arabic.)

Imam Youssef Almati of the Jame-e-Masjid Islamic Center in neighboring Boonton offered the Quran Recitation with a translation from Ahmad Kandil. Almati and the Boonton mosque hosted its annual interfaith Iftar dinner the previous weekend

The Muslim community in Montville welcomes all to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr at the amphitheater in Montville, NJ on Thursday, April 20, 20223.
The Muslim community in Montville welcomes all to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr at the amphitheater in Montville, NJ on Thursday, April 20, 20223.

Other speakers on Thursday included several Morris County elected officials, including Commissioner Tayfun Selen, a Muslim who grew up in Turkey.

"It is a particular honor for me to be here today standing before you as the only elected official in Morris County as a Muslim-American," Selen said.

Fifteen-year Montville resident Zahra Alemi spoke of her personal pride to witness the gathering in her hometown.

"I was raised here," she said. "In 2012, I graduated high school on these grounds. Now, I get to celebrate my beautiful holiday on these same grounds. Thank you to the mayor and all the coordinators for bringing back this piece of land that is so sentimental and so special to me, back in full circle. Thank you for making my home more than just a ZIP code."

The celebration concluded with the lighting of an "Eid Mubarak" sign that will be displayed at Montville Town Hall through the end of the month.

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"I think it's great," said Adam Kandil, a Jame-e-Masjid member and candidate to become the first Muslim council member in neighboring Parsippany. "We had it for the first time in Parsippany and now having it in Montville, you're seeing all people of different nationality and races coming together to celebrate Eid."

Next year, New Jersey will recognize its growing Muslim population with the state Legislature's passage of a bill to designate January as Muslim Heritage Month. State Senator and Montville resident Joseph Pennacchio sponsored the bill in the legislature's upper house. It awaits the signature of Gov. Phil Murphy after unanimous votes last month in the Senate and Assembly.

Lara Suwan speaks as the Muslim community in Montville welcomes all to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr at the amphitheater in Montville, NJ on Thursday, April 20, 20223.
Lara Suwan speaks as the Muslim community in Montville welcomes all to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr at the amphitheater in Montville, NJ on Thursday, April 20, 20223.

"We put it on the fast track and it's done," Pennacchio said Thursday while at the Montville event.

There are nearly 300,000 Muslim Americans in New Jersey, representing one of the largest Muslim-American populations of any state in the United States, according to Pennacchio's legislation. "New Jersey recognizes the positive impact Muslims have made, and continue to make, to the advancement of this state and the nation," it adds.

Pennacchio added that Murphy's is expected to sign the bill next week during an Eid celebration at Drumthwacket, the state governor's mansion.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Montville NJ Eid al-Fitr ceremony draws hundreds for end of Ramadan