From the Newsroom
São Paulo – The governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, participated this morning (20) in the Islamic ceremony for the "Festival of Sacrifice", which took place at the Mosque Brasil, in the city of São Paulo. The day recalls the episode in which Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, Ismael, under the orders of God, but God decides to spare Ismael and substitutes him for a ram.
"It was with great respect that we came to participate in such an important day in the life of all Muslims. The Festival of Sacrifice is the day of love and faith," declared Alckmin, according to his press advisory.
The "Festival of Sacrifice" is the second most important day in the Islamic calendar and marks the end of the Hajj, the annual peregrination to Mecca, one of the five pillars in Islamism. According to Alckmin, the miscegenation of the population is one of the characteristics of São Paulo. "It is a cosmopolitan state, which hosts well everybody and where everybody can integrate," he stated.
About 2 million peregrines went to Mecca this year, sacred city for the Muslims located in Saudi Arabia.
