You might think that the new mosque-to-be in Felanitx is a lavish new building, but far from it. It is merely the conversion of a nondescript old townhouse with a portassa on its ground floor. This rehabilitation of a Felanitx town dwelling into a mezquita or house of worship for the growing population of vecinos from Morocco was meant to be completed by the fiesta del cordero (Eid al-Kibir, also Eid al-Adha), i. e. today, December 8th. Alas, it was not meant to be. Perhaps the new Felanitx mosque will be inaugurated in time for the January New Moon (January 26th, 2009), Insh’Allah.

Eid al-Kibir is the second most important holiday in the Muslim world, after Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Kibir or Eid al-Adha commemorates the time when Abraham was about to sacrifice his own son in obedience to God’s command, only to have The Lord intercede at the last moment and have him sacrifice a ram instead. Eid al-Kibir coincides with the end of the hadjj pilgrimage to Mecca. I do not know how many Moroccans from Felanitx went to Mecca this year, if any. But I do know that many Moroccans all over Mallorca will eat their lamb tonight, or mutton, slaughtered the halal way, for sure. Our neighbours certainly will.

The photo was chosen from my archive. It was taken near Felanitx, Mallorca, Spain. The date: November 24th, 2007. The time was 13:38:12.