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A clown entertains children on the first day of Eid al-Adha next to the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's old city, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The major Muslim holiday, at the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, is observed around the world by believers and commemorates prophet Abraham's pledge to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
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CORRECTION / Egyptian children enjoy a water park following morning prayers for Eid al-Adha in the Nile Delta city of el-Mahalla el-Kubra, some 120 kilometres north of the capital Cairo, on July 20, 2021. / AFP / Mohamed EL-SAIED
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Kids play with balloons after Eid al-Adha prayer inside Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Faithful attend prayers marking the Muslim festival of sacrifice Eid al-Adha, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Nairobi, Kenya July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
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Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Kids play with ballonos after Eid al-Adha prayer inside Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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A vendor sells balloons outside the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque as people attend prayers to mark the Eid al-Adha festival in Banda Aceh on July 20, 2021. / AFP / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN
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Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Filipino Muslims wearing face masks as protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) gather for the morning prayers on Eid al-Adha, outside the Blue Mosque in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David
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This aerial view shows Albanian Muslims attending the Eid Al-Adha prayer at Skenderbej Square in Tirana on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Gent SHKULLAKU
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Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers attend Eid al-Adha prayer next to the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's old city, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The major Muslim holiday, at the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, is observed around the world by believers and commemorates prophet Abraham's pledge to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
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Vendors arrive with their cattle at a market on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Jammu, India, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, by sacrificing animals to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim's faith in being willing to sacrifice his son. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
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Muslim cleric Murtala Mohammed (R) speaks to faithfuls to mark Eid-el-Kabir at Ibafo Mosque in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, on July 20, 2021. Eid-el-Kabir, or Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI
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Albanian Muslim women pray during the Eid Al-Adha prayer at Skenderbej Square in Tirana on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Gent SHKULLAKU
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Muslim worshippers kneel as they pray during the Eid al-Adha prayers on the first day of the feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide, at the Millennium Square in Hawassa, Ethiopia, on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Amanuel Sileshi
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Iraqi Muslims girls attend Eid al-Adha prayers on the street outside Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad Adhamiya district,Iraq, July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
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Muslim women takes a selfie before Eid al-Adha prayers at a basketball court in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. During Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute portions of the meat to the poor. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
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Iraqis buy traditional sweets from street vendors in the vicinity of the Imam Ali shrine in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, on July 20, 2021, on the Day of Arafah, the holiest day in the Islamic calendar, that falls on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic Calendar, marking the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, a day ahead of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice". / AFP / Ali NAJAFI
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Palestinian women pose for a picture as they celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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A street vendor sells balloons during the Eid al-Adha prayers on the first day of the feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide, at the Millennium Square in Hawassa, Ethiopia, on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Amanuel Sileshi
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This aerial view shows Albanian Muslims attending the Eid Al-Adha prayer at Skenderbej Square in Tirana on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Gent SHKULLAKU
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Muslim worshippers pray in the courtyard of the Alrachid Grand Mosque, during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, in Bamako on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / NICOLAS REMENE
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Iraqis buy traditional sweets from street vendors in the vicinity of the Imam Ali shrine in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, on July 20, 2021, on the Day of Arafah, the holiest day in the Islamic calendar, that falls on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic Calendar, marking the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, a day ahead of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice". / AFP / Ali NAJAFI
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Muslims pray in the street in front of the mosque in Adjame, a popular neighbourhood of Abidjan, during the Eid al-Adha celebrations, on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Sia KAMBOU
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Muslims gather for?Eid al-Adha prayer inside Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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A man plays with his kid after Eid al-Adha prayer inside Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Muslims pray in the street in front of the mosque in Adjame, a popular neighbourhood of Abidjan, during the Eid al-Adha celebrations, on July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Cows, camels, goats and sheep are traditionally slaughtered on the holiest day. / AFP / Sia KAMBOU
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Updated 20 July 2021
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Muslims mark Eid al-Adha holiday in pandemic's shadow

Muslims mark Eid al-Adha holiday in pandemic's shadow

Muslims around the world were observing Tuesday yet another major Islamic holiday in the shadow of the pandemic and amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus.
Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is typically marked by communal prayers, large social gatherings, slaughtering of livestock and giving meat to the needy. This year, the holiday comes as many countries battle the delta variant first identified in India, prompting some to impose new restrictions or appeal for people to avoid congregating and follow safety protocols.