EIDUL Azha is a few weeks away, and herds of sacrificial animals would soon start appearing in urban areas, polluting the atmosphere with stink and filth that will go in the lungs along with billions of viruses and bacteria. Once the sacrifice is over, the ‘leftovers’ would continue to trouble lives for several weeks thereafter. It happens every year, and there is no reason to expect that this year it will be any different.

It is, therefore, suggested that the selling and slaughtering of sacrificial animals on city roads, streets, pavements and even keeping them in houses should be prohibited once and for all.

Nowhere in the world Eidul Azha is celebrated in such unhygienic manner as we celebrate it in Pakistan. All these activities should be strictly prohibited. I would suggest buying, selling and slaugh- tering of sacrificial animals should be entrusted entirely to welfare organisations in urban areas. Some mosques also arrange mass slaughter of animals and distribute meat for the convenience of the people. That should be banned as well. After all, there is no logic in keeping the animals close to the prayer area, and causing disturbance to the faithfuls.

It would be more appropriate if this task is assigned to organisations at the district level. They should arrange open spaces away from the cities. Over there, the animals of choice shall be purchased and relevant facilities should be made available for people offering sacrifice.

All the work should be done there and people can then take meat home, just as it happens elsewhere, like, say, Saudi Arabia. This would also help us keep diseases and viruses away. For all this to happen, we need laws to be enacted and then implemented. That is the only way to keep the country clean and disease-free.

Dr M. Qudrat-e-Khuda
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2023