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Muslims gather to celebrate Hari Raya Haji

SINGAPORE — Thousands of Muslims in Singapore congregated for prayers at mosques across the island yesterday for Hari Raya Haji, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, including Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, who was at Assyafaah Mosque in Admiralty.

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SINGAPORE — Thousands of Muslims in Singapore congregated for prayers at mosques across the island yesterday for Hari Raya Haji, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, including Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, who was at Assyafaah Mosque in Admiralty.

Some of the mosques also carried out korban rites — the sacrifice of sheep and lambs — to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s act of submission to God.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wished Muslims here Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha as he thanked the Saudi government for ensuring a safe pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims, including 680 from Singapore.

“We appreciate the Saudi government’s efforts to ensure a safe pilgrimage while they are upgrading the Holy Mosque in Mecca. Hope more Singaporeans can go on the hajj when the works are completed,” he wrote.

Hari Raya Haji also marks the end of the hajj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. The Saudi government temporarily reduced Singapore’s official quota of 680 pilgrims last year, due to development and upgrading work near the Holy Mosque, with 136 visas later reinstated.

Mr Lee also wrote that he was glad there was still enough livestock for the korban rites — 175 sheep died en route to Singapore — and thanked the mosque staff and volunteers who helped with making the korban arrangements.

Of the 2,200 Australian sheep that came on Thursday, 174 did not survive the flight. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said on Saturday the dead sheep were inspected on-site at the airport and a few taken for post-mortem, and findings indicated heat stress as the sheep’s cause of death.

The Singapore Mosques Korban Committee had said that in previous years, between five and seven sheep died when they were flown in from other countries.

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