Source: St. Petersburg Times

On March 31, 1999, the St. Petersburg Times reported on the celebration of Eid al-Adha in a mosque in Tampa, Florida. The mosque, which has a seating capacity of 1700, was filled with approximately 3000 Muslims. Anwar Hossain, a recent immigrant from Bangladesh, took part in roping and wrestling the 800-pound sacrificial cow. "I never expected to be able to celebrate this occasion here, especially far away from my country. I never knew that somebody sells cows for this type of celebration, and I never knew that I would be able to slaughter it here...I have the choice of freedom here. I can celebrate my religious occasions here, thanks to the American people."