Frankfurt lights up for Ramadan, a first for Germany

The German city of Frankfurt was decked out in festive lights on Sunday to celebrate the holy month of Islam. Muslim celebration of Ramadan, a national first according to the authorities and local media.

A large sign reading “Happy Ramadan” and a display of lights in the shapes of stars, lanterns and crescent moons were officially unveiled in a late afternoon ceremony, illuminating a pedestrian street in the center of city ​​lined with restaurants and cafes.

This is the first time that a German city has lit up its streets for Ramadan, according to local authorities and German media.

Illuminations on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, March 10, 2024 in Frankfurt © AFP – Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

The mayor of Frankfurt, Nargess Eskandari-Gruenberg, welcomed a “magnificent” gesture, which testifies to “the peaceful coexistence of all the inhabitants of Frankfurt”.

“In these times of crises and wars, this lighting is a sign of hope for all and strengthens the cohesion of our urban and diverse society”, she declared at the start of the week.

The city, the financial center of Germany, has more than 750,000 inhabitants, including around 100,000 Muslims.

According to the newspaper Bild , street decorations for Ramadan were also installed in the city of Cologne for the first time, although they were financed by private donations rather than public funds.

People take photos of the illuminations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Frankfurt, March 10, 2024 © AFP – Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

The Frankfurt branch of the Muslim Coordination Council welcomed the initiative which it considers a sign of “recognition of the cultural and religious diversity of our international city”.< /p>

Robert Lambrou, regional deputy for Hesse whose far-right party, the AfD, is leading the polls, condemned a “gesture of submission to Islam” .

This initiative comes from municipal councilor Omar Shehata, from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's social-democratic party. He explained to the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that he was inspired by London, which lit up for the first time last year during Ramadan.

Respondent to AfD critics, he said: “Many people in Frankfurt are united against the far right, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism.”

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