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Eid celebrated in Tehran

TEHRAN: Tens of thousands of Muslim faithful, men and women, took part in mass prayers to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramazan here on Saturday, a day later than most of the Middle East.

A huge crowd assembled from throughout the capital for the prayers along with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei presided over the main morning prayers marking the launch of the three-day Eid-ul-Fitr holiday at the Mosala arena in north Tehran.

Political and religious leaders took prime positions among the faithful, while thousands of police and civil agents assured order and security.

Shiite tradition requires the faithful to mark the Fitr festival with a donation to the poor of 3.5 kilogrammes (more than seven and a half pounds) of rice or wheat, or its cash equivalent.

This year the religious authorities have set the cash equivalent at 3,500 rials or around 40 cents.

Hundreds of collection sites were set up at the Mosala arena for the donations.

Khamenei has decided to pardon 1,026 prisoners for the occasion, as requested by the head of the justice system, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi.

Religious officials in Saudi Arabia, and in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Qatar and Yemen announced that Eid-ul-Fitr began Friday. AFP