Speaking on the eve of this weekend’s Eid Al Adha celebrations in Edinburgh. Lothian MSPFoysol Choudhury said: “It will be an honour to attend once again “Eid Al-Adha Pray in the Park” event at Inverleith Park on 9th July, which will start with a prayer at 9.30am. The event is organised by the Adha Trust in Edinburgh and is supported by Edinburgh Mosques.
“Last year’s celebration saw more than 2,000 people attending and this year, organisers are expecting 10,000 people to attend – if the weather holds up!
“Eid Al-Adha or the “Feast of Sacrifice” is a four-day celebration, which will be celebrated this year in the UK from 9th till 13th July according to moon sightings. This Muslim holiday also marks the end of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
“It is the biggest Muslim holiday, which is celebrated every year with friends, family and neighbours by Muslims across the world, with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb that is divided in three to be shared with loves ones and the needy.
“I would like to offer my good wishes to the Muslim communities in the Lothians and across Scotland and the UK. It is special time where we can again celebrate Eid Al-Adha with our friends and family in person again and I hope Muslims worldwide will be able celebrate in peace and safety particularly during these challenging times.
“I find that these religious festivals are a great way for communities to get together, allowing us to share our cultures and traditions so we can better understand our differences and celebrate them to foster more tolerance in our society as well as enriching our daily lives.
“I have also submitted Motion S6M-05178 for Eid Al-Adha 2022, which has already gained great cross-party support.
More than 70,000 ‘Big Lunches’ and events planned across the country
Activities for children released including Colour a Corgi
Big screens will be set up outdoors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff so thousands of people can come together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next month.
Screens broadcasting the events will be placed in The Mall in London, Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and in Cardiff’s Bute Park.
From street parties and ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ happening across the UK, to London’s Trooping the Colour, Service of Thanksgiving, concert and pageant, the nation and commonwealth will come together over four days to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign.
The screens are organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which today is launching an activity pack for children to help them learn about The Queen’s reign, including articles about how the country has changed in the last seven decades, opportunities to colour in a corgi or crown and bunting to decorate for street parties.
More than 70,000 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in the four UK nations over the weekend, with an expected ten million people set to sit down with their neighbours on Sunday 5 June, to celebrate Her Majesty’s momentous jubilee.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “In less than a month we will come together as a nation and Commonwealth to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. No other British monarch has reached this milestone and we will celebrate it with tradition, pomp and circumstance.
“I hope that people and communities across the country will come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty – whether that be to watch on big screens or toasting Her Majesty at a Big Jubilee Lunch with their neighbours or coming together in their local village hall.
In London, screens broadcasting the BBC’s live feed will be placed down The Mall and in St James’s Park for members of the public to watch the events taking place across the Bank Holiday weekend.
In Edinburgh, screens will be placed in Princes Street Gardens with thousands able to host picnics and watch the celebrations with a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and entertainment provided by the Royal Marines and local performers.
The Welsh Capital is also inviting families to bring their Jubilee Picnic and enjoy an afternoon in Bute Park. The beautiful Grade I listed park in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre will provide the perfect venue for an afternoon of Jubilee celebrations as families are invited to enjoy the Jubilee Pageant on a large screen along with entertainment from the bandstand.
In Northern Ireland, a design competition will see primary school children create a ‘snapshot of Northern Ireland’, with the winning entry to be manufactured into a rug by leading company Ulster Carpets and sent to Her Majesty the Queen.
In addition, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will receive Northern Ireland Platinum Jubilee Hampers showcasing over 50 top quality local food and drink producers, and representing the appreciation of the people of Northern Ireland for Her Majesty’s dedicated service.
Events taking place in London will be broadcast on TV networks BBC, Sky and ITV. In a further move to mark the occasion, the BBC is offering local communities a special one-off TV Licence dispensation so they can screen it on a big screen they organise themselves.
The plans will allow those celebrating with events arranged in town halls, community centres and streets to show live programmes throughout the weekend without needing to purchase a licence.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Watching the celebrations on the big screens the UK Government is setting up around the country is a great way for people to really get involved and soak up the atmosphere of this fabulous occasion.
“We’re looking forward to a great family-focused event in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh where people can bring a picnic, enjoy the weekend’s festivities and raise a glass to Her Majesty to mark her 70-year reign.”
BBC Director-General Tim Davie says: “I am delighted we are helping to bring people together to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and I’m looking forward to seeing our coverage on big screens up and down the UK, as we mark this wonderful occasion.“
