Australian Muslims Celebrate Eid Amid Concerns for Middle East Family

For Minal Tanvir and her sister in Western Sydney, the celebration of Eid, one of the most significant Islamic festivities, begins with a warm embrace from their father, the thrill of receiving “Eidie”—a traditional cash gift—and the heartfelt exchange of “Eid Mubarak” with their parents.

This year, Thursday and Friday marked the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, a celebration that signifies the conclusion of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims observe fasting from sunrise to sunset, and Eid al-Fitr is joyously observed over three days.

In Australia, more than 800,000 Muslims, including Minal Tanvil, a second-generation Australian of Pakistani descent, and her sister, celebrated the festival in diverse ways.

“It’s quite strange because after a month of fasting, it feels odd to eat on this day, almost like you should still be fasting,” the 24-year-old shared with SBS News.

“Eating that morning feels distinctly different, but it’s a delightful experience. Usually, we enjoy a delicious curry with fresh naan. Afterward, we head to the mosque for Eid prayers as a family, which is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Muslims in the community and see the joy among the children,” she added.

‘Anxious’

But for many Muslims around the world, this Eid feels different, as the Middle East, which is home to 20 per cent of Muslims, is under the shadow of a war which started on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The war has reached various areas in the region, with Iran launching strikes at other countries in the region.

Bilal El-Hayek, the mayor of the City of Canterbury Bankstown, the most concentrated Muslim population in the country, said that while Eid is a “wonderful day”, the war has made it “challenging” for the community.

“It’s been a tough time. People are feeling very tired, people are feeling very anxious, people are worried for their family and loved ones overseas as well,” he told SBS News.

“We pray for peace in the Middle East.”

Almost 30 individuals have lost their lives in the Persian Gulf countries since the onset of the war. In Kuwait, officials have imposed a temporary ban on plays, concerts, and weddings during Eid al-Fitr to reduce large gatherings.

Lebanon, a country with over 3 million Muslims, has also been heavily targeted since 2 March, after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, launched six missiles into Israel, the group’s first missile attack on Israel since signing a fragile ceasefire agreement in November 2024.

Israel has attacked various regions in Lebanon in recent weeks, killing 968 people, including 111 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry and forcing over a million people to be displaced.

‘A message of peace and love’

Gamel Kheir, secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said Eid is now relevant “more than ever” as “it sends a message of peace and love to the world, which is needed.”

“Eid is a time for celebrating humanity and getting together. Sadly, we’re facing an atrocity happening in our homelands. If ever there was a time when community bonds were needed, it is times like Easter, Eid and Christmas,” he told SBS News.

“These are times where we should all be celebrating together as a society.

“You can’t celebrate rightfully while your brothers and sisters are facing an atrocity now in Lebanon.”

Israel’s army forces have stated that they are focusing on Hezbollah facilities, describing the ground operation they have initiated in Lebanon as a defensive measure aimed at safeguarding northern Israel from Hezbollah aggression.

Kheir also asked the Australian government to take action, saying the country “has an obligation under human rights and international law to step in and ensure the safety of all our brothers and sisters in the Middle East”.

On Saturday, the Labor government announced it will allocate an extra $5 million for lifesaving aid to civilians impacted by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable populations, especially women and children.

The humanitarian assistance will be delivered by the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund, and it brings Australia’s humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon to over $135 million since October 2023. 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel and “dragging Lebanon into conflict”, warning “a major Israeli ground offensive into Lebanon will only exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation in the country”.

“We know this is a distressing time for Australians in Lebanon and for the Australian-Lebanese community here at home thinking of their family members and loved ones,” she said

“We are gravely concerned by the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon, the loss of life and the displacement of more than one million civilians.”

‘Eid is gone’

For those on the ground in Lebanon looking for a shelter from the war, previous Eid memories now feel like a different lifetime.

“Our circumstances used to be different. [We were] at home, my children had new clothes for the Eid … There is a huge difference between being at home and being in a tent or, rather, in a bus,” Samah Hjola, a Lebanese mother of two sheltering under a tarp hung between two minivans, told Reuters.

In Beirut, at a school that had been turned into a shelter for the displaced, a band performed in front of dozens of children — but for some, this didn’t change the mood.

“There’s no Eid, you can’t mention Eid,” Abed Nasser, a 53-year-old displaced man, told Reuters

“Eid is gone for us, and everything called a good life is gone. We live in sorrow for those who are gone. We live in tragedy, seeing the displaced unable to get by.”

In the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, families paid their respects by visiting the graves of their loved ones, which is a tradition associated with Eid.

“Honestly, there’s a heaviness in people’s hearts. The joy is incomplete,” Suleiman Youssef from Sidon told Reuters.

“I think people need joy, they need happiness. People want to be happy. This country needs safety and stability. We all hope the coming days will be better, and that the war will end as soon as possible.”

— This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Punjabi and SBS Arabic with additional reporting by the Reuters news agency.

For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.