Dream - Muslim community in New York, United States, held their first congregational tarawih prayer in Times Square on Sunday night, local time, March 10, 2024. Some of the congregation raised Palestinian flags as a form of solidarity with the people in Gaza who are currently resisting the Israeli attacks. In the bustling center of New York, the tarawih prayer took place against the backdrop of bright LED advertising screens, which is a characteristic feature of Times Square.

A worshipper, Salman al Hanafy, admitted to being surprised by the large number of New York residents participating in the first tarawih prayer. Salman is an Egyptian citizen who works as a forklift operator there. According to Arab News, more than 100 people participated in this first tarawih prayer, despite the cold weather with a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. Some worshippers read the Quran together. There were also those who distributed copies of the Islamic holy book to passersby.

The Palestinian flag is also raised on this occasion as a form of support for the people of Gaza who are currently under Israeli aggression. Prayers are also recited for the people of Gaza. "Raising awareness and showing people what is happening in Gaza," he said. Near Yasar, another congregant wears red, white, green, and black colors, like the Palestinian flag on his hat. Meanwhile, a young boy in an electric wheelchair waves a banner in support of the struggle of the people of Gaza.

New York has become the site of dozens of protests, some pro-Palestine and others pro-Israel, since the October 7 attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas, which marked the beginning of last year's war. Hamas' attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians. Meanwhile, Israel's retaliatory military strikes have killed at least 31,045 people in Gaza, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the region's health ministry.