Egyptians celebrate Eid al-Adha

Cairo - Egyptian Muslims began to celebrate Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) on Sunday amid parliamentary election campaigns, with candidates and parties trying to win over masses in one of the most important feasts on the Muslim calendar.

After going through the turmoil early this year, Egyptians now celebrate Eid al-Adha with a political touch in an atmosphere of electoral campaigns ahead of the parliamentary elections which are set to start on November 28.

"Freedom and Justice Party felicitates all the Muslims with the Eid al-Adha", read placards everywhere in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

"Mostafa Bakry, your candidate in Maadi constituency, felicitates all the Muslims with Eid al-Adha," read another placard hung above streets of Maadi suburb in Cairo.

While millions of Muslims are celebrating their feast, election campaigning staff are presenting Eid al-Adha gifts, mainly meat, in the name of party and individual candidates.

In Dar el-Salam suburb of Cairo, one can see a long queue of people waiting to receive a sack of meat, which is provided for free from the Freedom and Justice Party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood group.

"Muslim Brotherhood party feels our needs and tries to meet it, and we need this kind of candidates," Abdel Hamed Fathy, one of those standing in the queue, told Xinhua.

In Helwan, another suburb of Cairo, Freedom and Justice Party and Mohafzeen Party (Party of Conservatives) are competing to provide cheaper gas pipes to those in need.

"On Sunday, the first day of the feast, there was lack of gas pipes in Helwan and a pipe could only be bought for 25 Egyptian pounds (about $4.18). Meantime, we found the Freedom and Justice Party provide us with pipes priced just 5 EGP (0.84 dollars) for each, while Mohafzeen Party could get us one pipe for only 3 EGP (0.50 dollars)," Fatma Abdel Hady, 55, told Xinhua.

In Cairo's center Tahrir Square, where millions of Egyptians demonstrated from January 25 to February 11 demanding the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak, thousands of Muslims flood to do the Eid prayer on Sunday morning, with many felicitating papers from individuals and parties distributed among the prayers.

"El-Nour Party felicitates all the Egyptians with Eid al-Adha... " read a leaflet distributed by the Salafists.

"I know many candidates in my suburb Embaba through these ways of propaganda, which distribute gifts to people and spread placards everywhere. But I'm afraid that those who are now appealing to us will disappear after achieving their goals," said Ahmed el-sayed who were praying in Tahrir Square.

"Under the former government, candidates took advantage of parliamentary seats only for their own interests. After the unrest, I hope they can seek parliamentary seats for their people and for the interests of their constituency," he added.