In Ajdabiya, 16 kilometers west of Benghazi, Ramadan ended with as much sadness as it began. The first day of the al-Fitr Eid feast—which marks the end of the holy month of fasting— saw scenes of pale faces, heads hanging down, stunned gatherings and people reciting the takbeer in barely audible voices in the yard of the al-Fateh mosque in the city center. 

In Ajdabiya, 16 kilometers west of Benghazi, Ramadan ended with as much sadness as it began. The first day of the al-Fitr Eid feast—which marks the end of the holy month of fasting— saw scenes of pale faces, heads hanging down, stunned gatherings and people reciting the takbeer in barely audible voices in the yard of the al-Fateh mosque in the city center. 

Thirty-seven-year-old Mashallah Bu Jaffoul, the preacher of the feast, suddenly stopped his speech directly after the prayers and couldn’t manage to continue the takbeer of the Eid in his melodious voice.  Choking on his words, Bu Jaffoul ignored his pre-prepared speech and said: “O God. What is happening in Libya?”  Several in attendance began to cry.

When the prayers ended, people hugged each other and wiped tears from their faces. The yard and the people who were present in it looked as if they were covered with the dark smoke rising from the burning oil tanks that had been set on fire by a militia’s missiles.

Disagreements and conflicts

At one Iftar table, while maqtaa—a popular Eid dish—was being served, two cousins argued about Operation Dignity. One said the military initiative would give Libya prestige and clean it from the Takfiriyeen, while the other responded by saying the operation was a war on Islam and anyone who supported it was a takfiri. The two exchanged accusations and there was soon no indication that the relatives were there to celebrate a holy feast. 

Absent joy

Outside Haj Faraj al-Mashiti looked for the children in the neighborhood who he normally found annoying with their Eid fireworks and their noisy games.

But Haj Faraj was told by the neighbors that the “naughty” children went with their father to Benghazi because one of their relatives, a member of the Thunderbolt Brigade, had been killed.  In a sad tone, Haj Faraj said: “This Eid has no flavor.”

Ismaeel al-Obeidi, owner of toy store, told Correspondents that in the past, his shop used to sell large quantities of toys during the Eid holidays. However, he said that this Eid the quantities sold were insignificant compared to the old days. “Today, the very few people who bought toys for their children have chosen pistols, guns and war toys.”

The ‘Tabrikat’ program

During Eid, the local Ajdabiya radio station usually broadcast a special program called ‘Tabrika’ (Congratulations), but this year’s program was devoted to dealing with the ongoing problems. Instead of peopling calling in to congratulate each other, they used it for paying their condolences and to urge people to get closer to each other, overcome divisions and to pray for the people of Benghazi and Tripoli.

Usama al-Marghani, the radio station’s director told Correspondents that he was reluctant to broadcast joyful songs during this Eid because he was afraid the audience wouldn’t appreciate them after such a tragically violent Ramadan.

“On the eve of the Eid, I played some Libyan folklore songs but then people called in requesting the Tabrikat program.”

Attempts to make people happy

The ‘Ramadan Evenings’, one of the very special annual Ramadan events held by the ‘Khaleek Ijabi’ (Be Positive) team in the city of Ajdabiya before Eid, were also bleak this year.

Saad al-Shatra, the leader of the team, told Correspondents “The aim of this activity is to create an environment for the families of the city to meet each other. The event was able to attract many people but the events going on in Benghazi and Tripoli continued to impact on peoples’ mood. Every comment and every remark focused on the confrontations taking place in these two cities.” 

Salem Bu Wathan, leader of the al-Asriya Art Band, told Correspondents he had prepared two plays for Eid. “I can’t imagine seeing people laugh in Ajdabiya while our fellow Libyans are crying and dying in Benghazi and Tripoli,” he said, explaining why he did not show the Eid plays.

Sad poems

Another annual Eid ritual in Ajdabiya, is a poetry-writing competition yet this year, most of the poems written focused on the “wounded Benghazi and Tripoli” cities.  Ali Shahat, a poet from this city wrote a poem in which he pleaded to God to bring peace to his country. O God, bring peace… Today everything is turned upside down…. There is a feast in Libya today. 

His brother, Adel Shahat responded to his poem with another one in which he wrote: O almighty God help Libya recover… Save people from the harm inflicted by other people… There is a feast in Libya today. 

Abdel Basset al-Zawi, another poet from Ajdabiya, apologized to Ramadan and its feast because the sanctity of the month was not respected. He wrote a poet in which he said: Please accept our apologies for what we did in Ramadan… murder, massacres and destruction… O feast, we are sorry, we never imagined that your day would be full of blood.