Officials are slated to gather Friday at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn to mark the U.S. Postal Service release of stamps commemorating Muslim holidays.
A “First-Day-of-Issue” ceremony is planned for noon at the mosque on Ford Road. It coincides with the Postal Service’s issue of an “Eid” stamp that marks two major periods in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr, which ends the holy month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice.
Those expected to participate in the event include USPS representatives, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, Muslim American Youth Academy students and Sam Salamey, chief judge at Dearborn’s 19th District Court, mosque officials said in a statement.
The 2016 Eid stamp features gold-colored calligraphy created by acclaimed calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya of Arlington, Virginia, according to the Postal Service web site.
Muslims across Metro Detroit began observing Ramadan on Monday — launching a month of daily fasting, prayer and charitable efforts. Eid al-Fitr, or the “feast of fast-breaking,” traditionally lasts several days, and this year is in early July.
Typically following about two months later is Eid al-Adha, which coincides with the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.