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By Fareeda Ahmed March 1, 2010 February 2010 took the cake for most happening month ever! Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, President’s Day, Black History Month, Worldwide Fashion Weeks. Here’s another: last month (and into the early days of March), Muslims around the world are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (born in 570 CE). Also known as Mawlid An-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet), the birthday (and coincidentally, deathday) falls on the 12th day of the 3rd month of the Islamic calendar Rabi’ al-awwal for Sunnis (February 26, 2010), and on the 17th day of the same month for Shias (March 3, 2010). Festivities around the Prophet’s birth range with each different culture, but tend to share common themes, such as public processions, national holidays (for some countries), special political addresses (in Muslim countries) or religious sermons focusing on the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad as a model for Muslim behavior, charitable activities, display of relics, community prayers, and other local celebrations. A minority of Muslims, while revering the birth of Prophet Muhammad, see the celebration of his birth as haraam, or forbidden, and therefore prohibit celebrations. Otherwise, the worldwide panorama of activities is as grand as the cultures spanned, from China to Pakistan, Morocco to Malaysia, and is a tribute to the balance of diversity and unity around the Muslim world. Here is a look at how 10 countries are celebrating The Birthday Heard Around the World. 1) Algeria: Fireworks displays outside, and massive gatherings in Mosques and other public centers on the inside show the pervasiveness of the festival in Algeria.  2) Morocco: A religious gathering to mark the day in Morocco 3) Pakistan: Milad an-Nabi: The national flag is hoisted on all public buildings, and a 31 gun salute in the federal capital and a 21 gun salute at the provincial headquarters are fired at dawn. Here’s a procession from a previous year. 4) Malaysia: Maulud Nabi - Marked by processions and special gatherings all over the country. 5) Brunei: A lit up scene in Brunei from a previous Mawlid. And a photo still of the Sultan of Brunei today, February 26th, addressing his kingdom today to mark the occasion and make a call for sincerity in his people, saying: Sincerity is the panacea or cure for all defects, particularly at the fields of work and employment. If one is truly sincere, then one should be clean from any bad characteristic such as greed, envy, untrustworthiness, corrupt and the likes. This is why sincerity is important. I hope, in our joy to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W., all rakyat and residents, irrespective of status and position, would embrace sincerity in life so that we will become a truly blessed nation. 6) Egypt: In Egypt as in other Muslim countries, Moulids or Mawlids are also celebrated on the birthdays of Sufi saints. Celebrations are extensive and take much preparation, as shown by this man working on a candy installation of dolls and horses, like many that will be made across Egypt 7) India: Barawafat - Processional float in a procession in India bearing Muhammad’s name from Flikr 8) Iran: Zadruz-e Payambar-e Akram - The birth of the great prophet is celebrated in a weeklong festival from the 12th-17th of the Islamic month, a period sometimes referred to as Unity Week. Here is a commemorative stamp of Iranian Unity Week from 1989. 9) Canada, UK, and US: In these countries where sizeable immigrant populations of Muslims often socialize and celebrate in tight-knit communities, local mosques and Islamic centers often offer robust programs with charity drives, special sermons, and sometimes singing and other celebratory fare. 10) Turkey:Mevlid Serif - The Blessed Birth (Turkish) - Graphic from a televised Turkish Mevlid celebration 2007 (STV). http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php/site/blog_detail/happy_birthday_to_prophet_muhammad_from_around_the_world-nid706158157/