HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Dear WISDOM subscribers:

We at WISDOM would like to wish a very merry Christmas to all of our Christian friends.

And to our Muslim friends we would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy Eid Al-Adha. On December 19th, Muslims all over the world will celebrate this holiday.

Eid Al-Adha is celebrated at the end of the Hajj. The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage taken during the last month of the Islamic year. It is a pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) is an obligation to all Muslims to be performed at least once a year. The Hajj consists of traveling to Mecca, Medina, Mina, the Plain of Arafat, and Muzdalifah. The total travel time is generally 5 days. Newcomers to Mecca stop at Miquat to wash, pray, and put on an Ihram, which is two pieces of white cloth that is draped around the body. This article of clothing is a must to enter into Mecca while on the Hajj. Eid Al-Adha is celebrated by everyone, not just those who have completed the Hajj.
This festival represents the day when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son in the name of God. Allah gave the gift of a ram in place of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.
On Eid Al-Adha, families that can afford it sacrifice an animal such as a sheep, goat, camel or cow, and then divide the meat among themselves, the poor, friends and neighbors. Eid Al-Adha is a public holiday in Muslim countries. It begins with communal prayer at daybreak of its first day, which takes place at the local mosque. Worshippers wear their finest clothes for the occasion. It is also a time for visiting friends and family and for exchanging gifts.

AND TO EVERYONE WE WISH YOU A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2008!!

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE WISDOM JANUARY 20TH MARTIN LUTHER KING CELEBRATION AT THE HARTFORD MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH IN DETROIT, AND THE CHARLES WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE WISDOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS