Today Muslims in the world including in Pakistan are celebrating Eid ul Adha with all religious fervor and festivities. The day celebrations began when almost every mosque in the country was filled up with people offering the Eid prayer with all its passion. They prayed for the solidarity of the country and peace and independence for the people of Palestine and the occupied Kashmir.
Right after the prayer, people started slaughtering the sacrificial animals while children clad in new clothes were enjoying every moment of the day. They were marching in the streets holding ropes of the sacrificial goats. After sacrificing the animals, they enthusiastically started distributing meat with elders among relatives, neighbors, and the needy. The scent of cooked meat and delicious dishes and people enjoying the feasts could be felt and found in every street today. This day is an auspicious festival for Muslims.
It commemorates the Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them), especially their sacrifice and obedience to God. Every year, the Muslims of the world celebrate this day with all religious fervor. The most important and central ritual of this occasion is the sacrifice of livestock. It can be a sheep, goat, cow, or camel. The act of sacrificing animals symbolizes Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his beloved son.
It demonstrates the compulsion of Muslims’ readiness to accept God’s command. It is about sharing and distributing happiness. It emphasizes the importance of generosity, charity, and compassion towards the needy. All Muslims are encouraged to donate generously to those in need. The soul of this charity to the vulnerable aims to enhance social interactions to eliminate the social gaps in different segments of society.
This day also marked the ending of Hajj – the biggest gathering of Muslims in the city of Macca of Saudi Arabia to perform the religious obligation of pilgrimage. Along with so much happiness, this year this day marked some bitter realities and left some questions for those celebrating this day with families and friends.
When on the one hand the pilgrims have wrapped up the Haj rituals and people enjoying the festivities of this day, the people of Gaza are mourning for their loved ones. As per reports, so far in Gaza, nearly 38,000 people have been killed and nearly 90,000 are injured. Among those who lost their lives are nearly 16,000 children. More than half of the killed population of the Strip are women and children. The continuing massacre in Gaza demands those celebrating this day to remember them and their children and those dying of starvation. To this day, thousands of Palestinian children have either been orphaned or brutally killed.
For the people and orphans in Gaza, this is a depressing Eid and for others a moment of joy and feasts. Palestinians in Gaza are marking this day in a somber mood with many having lost relatives in Israeli attacks. “We were rescued from under the debris and immediately after that, my husband died. My children ask a lot about their father. They missed him the most during the holy month of Ramadan and this Eid. We miss him so much.” A woman Abeer Ali was reported saying these words on this Eid day. Another woman – Zarifa Ashour – said this year’s Eid was far different than past ones. “We used to enjoy Eid in our house with our relatives and slaughtered livestock for the Eid sacrifice. We were all happy. Eid this year is quite dark as we lost everything. Everything turned into rubble. We have nothing left for us in this life to celebrate.”
Surprisingly many Muslim countries have fabulous wealth and some good might and military power, but none among them could help stop the slaughtering of Gazans at the hands of Israel. The OIC issued statements but it could never go beyond that. The Muslim world’s response to the Palestine crisis remained poor and was marked by feebleness. The Muslim-majority countries could have completely boycotted the brands of Israel, but it remained failed. In history, the role of South Africa, Brazil, and Colombia will always be remembered. Can we go beyond condemnations? Can the Muslim world completely say get out to Israel? Can they directly give a shut-up call to Israel? These questions may persist long.
Last summer, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip celebrated Eid al-Adha the way it’s supposed to be: with large family feasts, meat shared with those less fortunate, and new clothes and gifts for children. But this year they are living in tents, hardly have any food to survive what to talk of meat. For them so far is war, hunger, and misery, with no end in sight. “There is no Eid this year,” said Nadia Hamouda, whose daughter was killed in the war and who fled from her home in northern Gaza months ago and is staying in a tent.
“We hear the call to prayer, we cry over those we lost and the things we lost, and what has happened to us, and how we used to live before.” Gaza was impoverished and isolated even before the war, but people still managed to celebrate by hanging up colorful decorations, surprising children with treats and gifts, and purchasing meat or slaughtering livestock to share with those less fortunate. “It was a real Eid,” Hamouda said. “Everyone was happy, including the children.” Now Gaza is in ruins when 2.3 million have fled their homes. Most of Gaza’s agriculture and food production were destroyed leaving people reliant on aid. The UN agencies have warned that over a million people in Gaza could experience the highest level of starvation in the coming weeks. The Gazans need our help, let us do something for them today.
The surprising factor of this year’s Eid is that a banned militant group – TTP – involved in several bomb attacks on citizens and security forces yesterday reportedly announced halting attacks on security forces during all three days of Eid al-Adha. The TTP said reportedly in a statement said to halt its activities against on the demand of the people of Pakistan. This is the second time that TTP announced this after 2021. (Senior journalist
