Photos by Lila Aryan

People of many cultures and one faith, dressed in their finest, came together to pray on Eid al-Adha in Milwaukee.

Thousands of Muslims from Greater Milwaukee gathered last Friday in the recently expanded Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee to participate in the worldwide celebration of Eid al-Adha, a feast day to celebrate of the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and to honor the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.

Some had attended early morning Eid prayers at the more than eight mosques in Milwaukee and its suburbs before coming together for the large community Eid prayer at the Baird Center. Many would return to their local mosques midday for Jum’ah (Friday) prayers since the 2025 Eid al-Adha fell on a Friday.

As Milwaukee’s largest convention center, Baird is one of very few locations that can accommodate the large numbers that come together for the holiday prayer. Greater Milwaukee is estimated to have between 15,000 and 30,000 Muslims in its rapidly growing community. (For a profile of Milwaukee’s Muslim Community and the history of the Muslim Women’s Coalition, see Islamic Horizons Sept-Oct. 2, 2021, issue, pages 24-29.)

Celebrating Eid in Milwaukee

Wisconsin Muslims, as Muslims everywhere, celebrate Eid al-Adha by attending community prayers in new clothes purchased or made especially for the holiday. Some decorate their homes to create a festive atmosphere for their children. Others visit restaurants with friends and family members, and send Eid greetings in text messages and social media. Those with relatives overseas call them to wish them a healthy, happy and prosperous year.

Many observe a three-day celebration for each of the two major annual Muslim holidays, Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha after the Hajj pilgrimage. During those three days, they enjoy time with relatives and friends, visiting and accepting guests throughout. The holidays are also considered a special time to help those in need. 

World-class photographer captures the moment

Wisconsin Muslim Journal commissioned Milwaukee-based photographer Lila Aryan to photograph the 2025 Eid al-Adha prayers. 

A commercial and fine arts photographer, Aryan had developed an impressive list of subjects and clients. It includes prominent individuals (Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Joshua Bell, Magic Johnson, Lynn Redgrave and Judy Collins, to name-drop a few) and global corporations, including Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, HP and US Cellular.

In 2016, PBS Newshour selected Aryan to photograph the first-ever, all-female moderated presidential debate with moderators Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff. PBS Wisconsin commissioned Aryan in 2023 to create portraits as a component of the Wisconsin Muslim Project “to show there are many ways to be Muslim in Wisconsin.”

It included an exhibition Aryan called “a love song to my father,” a Palestinian American entrepreneur who was in memory care at the time. Born in Jerusalem, her father, a Muslim, immigrated to Milwaukee in the 1950s and, for more than 30 years, operated an imported goods store in Mayfair Mall. Aryan described his wife, her mother, as “a Kansas farm girl and a devout Catholic.” Aryan describes herself as “a passionate non-denominational Christian.”

Aryan told WMJ this week that the Eid service had not been her first to photograph. “My cousins are Muslim and they have invited me for many years, and I’ve also been asked to shoot it several times.”

Yet, the experience still inspires her, she said.

“What impressed me is how many people there are in our community who are Muslim and how devoted they are to their faith.

“The attire of the attendees is exquisite, and I’ve never seen such beautiful children in such beautiful outfits.

“The crowd was wonderful, all of them so friendly and so many holding up peace signs for my camera. So many people were very engaging with the camera and just wonderful to meet.”

Milwaukee photographer Lila Aryan’s photos are featured with this article.