Syrians refugees mark Eid, mindful of the turmoil keeping them from their homes

(4 Oct 2014) Syrian refugees celebrated the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday near the Turkish-Syrian border on Saturday, as fighting continued in the nearby Syrian town of Kobani. About a dozen Syrians joined Turks in traditional morning prayers at the Altinova Mosque in Suruc, a Turkish town some six kilometres (3.7 miles) from the border with Syria. "As normal people we want to go back to our homes and celebrate Eid like other people," said Osman Xoja, a 42 year-old refugee. The four-day Eid al-Adha, or the 'Festival of Sacrifice', is one of Islam's major holidays and is observed across the Muslim world. "In the west there are even animal rights. We are humans and we don't enjoy any rights," Xoja added. Militants heavily shelled the Kurdish town of Kobani on Friday as jihadi fighters prepared an all-out offensive for the strategic site. Kobani and its surrounding areas have been under attack since mid-September, with militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages. The assault, which has forced some 160,000 Syrians to flee, has left the Kurdish militiamen scrambling to repel the militants' advance into the outskirts of the town, also known as Ayn Arab. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...