Date: 09 / 12 / 2008  Time:  11:40
Mecca – Ma’an –

As three million Hajj pilgrims made their way to Jamaraat on Monday to throw symbolic stones at three pillars symbolizing Satan’s temptations, Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza did their best to keep up Eid Al-Adha tradition.

In Jerusalem, Muslims spent Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim religious festival of sacrifice, praying and feasting under a tense political situation an Israeli-declared state of alert.

In the Gaza Strip, humble prayers were all that could be had amidst the Israeli siege. An absence of salaries, electricity and lambs prevented the feasts, happiness and ritualistic slaughter associated with the holy day.

“I couldn’t buy anything for my big family and Eid passed as a normal day under the siege with no happiness and nothing to celebrate,” Sa’id Hamudah, a teacher at a governmental school in Gaza said.

“This is the worst Eid ever,” he added.

With 80% of the population in Gaza living below the poverty line, Gazans were deprived of what is supposed to be a celebration.

Abu Jamal has a large family with six children. While his salary isn’t enough to buy his little kids all that they need, it is enough to buy some gifts. This year, with Israel’s halting the distribution of shekels to Gaza banks, Jamal’s kids did not receive any gifts or eat any lamb.

Sami Ad-Dermali, a government employee believes the situation will get worse because the lack of salaries will increase corruption and robberies as Gazans search for any opportunity to make a living.