(RNS) — Last month, Muslims marked Eid al-Fitr amid war in Iran and surrounding countries, continued bombings in Gaza, violence in Sudan, crushing immigration enforcement and rising anti-Muslim attacks and verbiage, coupled with fear permeating in American Muslim communities as Islamophobic political efforts rise. That didn’t stop about 480 Muslims and interfaith allies from gathering in Washington, D.C., in late March for a celebration that deliberately centered strength and joy, purposefully called An American Eid. The Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Eid celebration was an organized respite from and a clap back to anti-Muslim attacks and rhetoric that have ratcheted up the past few months — that includes mosques (and a Utah-based imam) being shot at or vandalized, and bigoted statements against Muslims by members of Congress. “The idea was, listen, we’re celebrating Eid. Deal with it,” said Haris Tarin, MPAC’s vice president of policy and programming. “This is who we are.…