Muslims celebrate end of Ramadan

CAIRO (AP) - Far from the din and controversy roiling interfaith relations in the West, Muslims worldwide thronged mosques, cafes and parks Friday in a solemn and joyful end to the fasting month of Ramadan.

Authorities increased security in some countries due to fears that violence could intrude on the celebrations, but for most Muslims it was a day of peace, family - and most important food.

Friends and relatives feasted on spicy lamb, kebabs and saffron rice, while smokers happily puffed on cigarettes in broad daylight as the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival got under way across the Muslim world.

During Ramadan, the faithful are supposed to abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex in a dawn-to-dusk period of self-sacrifice to commemorate the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

"It's nice to be eating, drinking and smoking during the daytime," said Jordanian banker Mutaz Kurdi, 37, as he walked his two children in an Amman park. "Fasting was difficult this year because of the summer heat."

Business was brisk for ice cream vendors in Baghdad, where children decked out in holiday finery rode Ferris wheels at amusement parks and raced horse-drawn carts on traffic-free streets. Some boys battled each other with plastic guns, ignoring a ban on toy weapons imposed so children would not be mistaken for militants.

Still, soldiers guarded playgrounds and public parks, and additional military and police checkpoints were erected across the Iraqi capital - a reminder the country still faces near-daily bombings and shootings despite a dramatic drop in attacks.

Ali Issa, a 41-year-old father of four from the Shiite slum of Sadr City, said Iraqis have little to look forward to this holiday season, with prices on the rise and continuing political bickering.

"The security situation is deteriorating and so is the economy," Issa said. "This year, I only bought new dresses for my two girls while I asked the two boys to use their old clothes because I cannot afford new clothes for everybody."

In Yemen, authorities warned people to pray inside mosques and deployed heavy security after posters signed by al-Qaida threatened attacks. No outdoor prayers were held in two southern provinces after officials urged people to avoid large gatherings.

War-weary Afghans marked the holiday with prayers for peace in mosques as well as family gatherings in homes. President Hamid Karzai urged the Taliban to lay down their arms and join peace talks - a theme often repeated in presidential speeches but so far unheeded by significant numbers of Taliban.

The normally festive atmosphere for Eid in Afghanistan was tempered not only by the war but by bitterness over a threat by a small Florida church to burn copies of the Islamic holy book Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. At least 11 people were injured in scattered protests across the country, police said.

"Muslims are not going to be humiliated," cleric Mohammad Ayaz Niazi said during a sermon in Kabul. "From this mosque, I'm asking the world to prevent this crime, which could destroy global peace."