Bakra Eid- How Yummy Gets Yucky



Eid Ul Azha has everything for every age group to offer and that makes it a ‘Big Eid’. Elders like to incorporate with neighbors on buying Halal Animals and spend hot days in bargaining and window shopping in city’s numerous Cow and Goat Markets in effort to bring home a ‘real’ animal. At home, kids can’t wait for their beloved animal to finally arrive so they can take them out in their vicinity to put on display a Macho Animal to be slaughtered for their friends and foes and create a buzz. Interestingly, I have come across Facebook pages of such animals maintained by their young owners with hundreds of likes and equal number of people talking about. Grown up boys and girls are most interested in late night BBQ parties where they can enjoy good food, music and company of their pals. Aunties try their hands on innovative recipes that they learn from glamorous cooking shows on Television. Transcending the family saga, religious and political groups dedicate themselves to only one aim and that happens to be the collection of as many skins as possible to raise liquidity for their groups. Everyone has something or the other to celebrate and nail during this meaty and beefy Eid. So sacrifices of Muslim men and women just do not go in vain, everyone gets a lump of sugar in their glass. Here come the medical professionals on the showground that get overbooked with the appointments and visits by the patients and ultimately get the whole jug of sweetness. During this long episode of delight and fun of activities, everyone is too busy that they just overlook the stains or in fact streams of blood and yucky whiff in the atmosphere. Media has no time to throw some light on this hazard and only tries to raise their TRP by showing Animal Stars, like for instance, “The Dabangg Cow” and “Mr. Don Goat”.  If we can spare few moments to contemplate on it, a very little care can make this Spicy Eid more Spicier but only requires mass awareness and education. If a person can afford to buy a cow for sixty thousand bucks and pleases to buy additional ornaments for the animal like LEDs to light up horns, and every stupid type of bangles and bracelets to make their animal resemble Madhuri Dixit. Then why can’t they get a pack of Plaster of Paris and a cheap perfume most commonly known as kafoor in Urdu to maintain the hygiene of their own area??? No doubt that the government machinery has gone a step farther by not just limiting itself to newspaper ads but actually is seen on the ground taking venerable steps. But this situation will only improve if each household takes its own responsibility. By taking up the onus to keep our vicinity clean, we can earn double reward from Allah, one for sacrificing valuable animals and the other for sanitation. Never to forget what Holy Quran said about cleanliness:
"Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." [2: 22]