The feast of Aid el Kebir is one of the major pillars of Islam and, every year, Muslim faithful in Africa and across the world celebrate this religious feast with pomp and ceremony.
This year, together, we braved the pernicious Covid-19 pandemic; we sacrificed much to prevent the scourge from plunging us into further difficulty.
We were in Tokyo, Japan, for the 2020 Olympic Games, and in Beijing, China, for 2022 Winter Games despite the health crisis.
The truth is, we had faith in God who, through Abraham’s sacrifice, inculcated in us a set of spiritual values.
These include courage, self-sacrifice, the joy of effort, humility and piety, which values are very much in line with Olympic values, which guide the international sports movement, namely solidarity, love and fair play.
In this vein, we encourage all African athletes to give their all in the quest for sports excellence, without losing sight of the universal Olympic values.
We therefore wish all the Muslim faithful of Africa, the Olympic and Sports Movement and all athletes, Muslim or not, a wonderful celebration. May this day help reinforce our concerted efforts for greater successes in the future.
ANOCA wishes you a happy feast day. Barkah da Sallah to all!
Mustapha Berraf
IOC Member
President of ANOCA
