Muslims celebrate Ramadan's end after violent holy month

Abdou Kattih hardly knew about half of the people he hugged during the Islamic Center of Murfreeboro's Eid al-Fitr festivities.

But his expressions of affection weren't out of place Wednesday morning as hundreds of Muslims gathered at the mosque for the joyous Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. It's a celebration of community and peace, and it stands in stark contrast to the terror and violent attacks caused by extremists that killed hundreds of Muslims and non-Muslims alike during the religion's holiest month.

"I think it's a day to show that unity can come in different colors and ways. Peace is established by simple gatherings and love is a dominant force that moves us as human beings, and we should never allow fear to overcome love and unity," said Kattih, who previously served on the Islamic Center's board.

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Muslims across Middle Tennessee marked the occasion. The Murfreesboro mosque's holiday celebration brought together Muslims of about 30 nationalities for communal prayers and breakfast, Kattih said. As adults caught up with friends, family and others they hadn't seen in a while, the younger generations played soccer, bounced on inflatable play equipment and took pony rides.

Talea Rahman spent much of Wednesday morning passing out tickets for the games as a volunteer with Middle Tennessee State University's Muslim Student Association. Rahman, 19, said she always enjoys seeing the new faces Eid al-Fitr brings to the mosque each year and watching the children play.

"When you leave this premises you’re going to be faced with all of these difficult hardships that are put upon us because of the stereotypes in the media and what not,” said Rahman, of Murfreesboro. “It’s so nice for these couple of hours you get this nice, peaceful serenity around a community that loves each other and really enjoys the presence of each other.”

For more than a decade, Muslims across Middle Tennessee have made concerted efforts to push back against those stereotypes and more blatant bigotry with interfaith outreach and education. The more recent rise of the Islamic State, an extremist militant group also known as ISIS, means faithful Muslims must continue to speak out against those who commit violence and cite radical ideological reasons.

Nashville-area Muslims coping with Ramadan negativity

A series of attacks, most linked to the Islamic State group, has killed nearly 350 people in eight countries during Ramadan, the Associated Press reported. The attacks, which include the Orlando, Fla., gay nightclub shooting and suicide bombers in Saudi Arabia, are widely seen as an attempt to distract from a string of battlefield losses suffered by the extremist group in Syria and Iraq, where the borders of its self-styled caliphate are shrinking.

"For the longest time, I thought ISIS was hijacking Islam; they're not. They're attacking. They're not hijacking. They're deviant from everything human and they're just attacking us as Muslims, us as humans," said Kattih, who started the Murfreesboro Muslim Youth group. "Unfortunately, we as Muslims in America are facing double hate — hate from ISIS and hate from those who think we're responsible for ISIS."

While the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro faced harsh opposition for its new mosque that opened in 2012, the anti-Muslim rhetoric in Tennessee increased after the attacks on Paris last fall. It's seeped into public policy conversations ranging from suing the federal government over refugee resettlement to what can appear in school textbooks. And, it became a part of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Mohammad Kaissi, 27, of Murfreesboro said the violence makes him see instances of negative and inaccurate comments about Islam he encounters as opportunities to educate people about his faith and encourage them to think critically about their information sources. It makes for some hard conversations, but he tries to take a judgment-free approach.

"The bottom line is it's just a little ignorance," Kaissi said. "At the end of the day, Islam is a religion of peace. Don't let the media control what it is."

The region's end of Ramadan festivities will continue through the weekend. Middle Tennessee mosques and Muslim organizations are coming together Sunday for the fifth annual Eid al-Fitr Community Carnival. It's from 2 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Park.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Reach Holly Meyer at 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.