MOGADISHU, November 4, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Somalia on Thursday, November 3, celebrated `Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in a rare moment of peace, gift-giving and goodwill.
Thousands of Somali Muslims thronged mosques, enjoying a rare full day of peace and unity in the country, where for 14 years the gun has replaced the rule of law, Reuters reported.
Wealthy patrons also handed out money and food to queues of poor people as Islamic sermons reverberated from loudspeakers.
"This is a happy day, our faith compels us to share the joy with the less fortunate," said 55-year-old businessman Abukar Shamo.
Sheikh Mohammad Barut said over 10,000 Muslims assembled in Mogadishu's football stadium.
"We had more than eight loudspeakers placed in different parts of the stadium so that the crowd could hear the sermon," Barut said.
Somalia has fallen into a bloody civil war since 1991 when Somali warlords overthrew president Mohammad Siyad Berre and turned their guns on one other, dividing the country of about 7 million people.
Since the 1991 fall of Berre, Somalia has lacked almost all the trappings of a functional state, such as national systems of education, healthcare and justice.
Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but the UN withdrew in March 1995, having suffered significant casualties.
Further secessions occurred in 1998 and 1999.
'Gun Culture'
The war atmosphere has in fact created a "gun culture" on the streets and even made its way to the children's games.
Playing with toy guns, Somali children are used to celebrating the `Eid by playing their own version of hide-and-seek.
They run through the battle-scarred streets of the capital Mogadishu and chasing each other in a mock replay of the clan fights of their elders.
"We will go to Towfiq (neighborhood) to fire at our friends," said five-year old Ahmad Ali said while hurrying to find other boys to play with.
He said that he could not imagine celebrating the Muslim occasion without having a big toy weapon to play with his friends.
Many Somali children dream of becoming police officers to maintain law and order in the war-ravaged country.
"I am acting like a policewoman," said seven-year-old Hibak Abdi while cradling a plastic walkie-talkie.
She said that `Eid celebrations gave her the chance to practice keeping law and order.
"I watch over them as they fight," she said while watching her seven siblings pretend to fire at each other near their house.
The youthful fad for toy weapons immediately render positive fruits to shopkeepers who recorded sales of thousands of toy pistols and tanks.
"The toy guns sell like hotcakes during `Eid celebrations," said 30-year-old Abdel Razzak Luqman, who manages a supermarket.
"I have sold nearly a thousand pieces since yesterday."