The city of Frankfurt, Germany, lit up festive lights to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. The illuminations were put up on a pedestrianized street in the city center lined with restaurants and cafes.
They were formally unveiled on Sunday with a large sign that read “Happy Ramadan” and a display of lights in the shape of stars, lanterns, and crescent moons. Reportedly, it cost the city at least 75,000 Euros. Moreover, it was the first time a German city had put up street lights for Ramadan.
Frankfurt, which is Germany’s financial hub, has a population of over 750,000 people, with approximately 100,000 Muslims residing in the city. The Ramadan lights have been welcomed by the Frankfurt branch of the Coordinating Council. According to Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Gruenberg.
The display of lights is a beautiful gesture that symbolizes the peaceful co-existence of all people in Frankfurt.
Moreover, the illuminations were the brainchild of city councilor Omar Shehata, from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. He was inspired by London, which lit up for Ramadan for the first time last year.
Ramadan street decorations were also on display in the city of Cologne, though private donations rather than public funds. However, not all reactions were positive.
Far-right regional lawmaker Robert Lambrou condemned the Ramadan decorations as a gesture of submission to Islam. He is a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has been rising in opinion polls.
Responding to the criticism, Shehata said:
Many people in Frankfurt stand united against right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Muslim racism.
