穆斯林组织向当地居民分发宰牲节用肉

Muslims living in United States are sharing the happiness and joy of the Eid celebration with non-Muslims, especially when Muslims sacrifice an animal and share the meat with the poor and needy.

VOA’s Vardha Khalil recently visited a residential area in Silver Spring, Maryland where a local Muslim organization distributed more than 2700 kilos of meat to the community.

Most people standing in line at this residential complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, are from Latin America. And even though they are not Muslims,

today is a special day for them. As in previous years, representatives from the Montgomery County Muslim Federation are including them in their Eid festivities by distributing the meat of sacrificed animals.

Resident Alicia said: "I know their work and their organization. They help the Latin community greatly. They are loving and respectful."

Resident Brian Chavez said: "We are grateful because they come every year and they don’t just give us meat but also other things."

A senior citizen community is the next stop, where the gesture is also appreciated.

Abdul Hai Sheikh has been a volunteer for years. He says such initiatives from the Muslim community are important to bring people from different religions in the United States together. He said: "Help the community here and give something to the underprivileged. And doing so, we can create a better bond between the local community and the Muslim community. There is better understanding."

This year, the Muslim Federation collected twenty-one thousand dollars from the Muslim community to sacrifice animals for Eid and distribute meat in eight different locations.