Reema Shaukat
Covid-19 certainly has changed the lives across the globe. We have become more cautious in interaction with people physically and avoid social gatherings as much as possible. Every year in the month of Zil Hajj, all Muslims across the globe celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with religious fervour and fiesta. To remember the sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) animals are slaughtered to mark this holy day on 10th of Zil Hajj.
Large numbers of animals are slaughtered in Pakistan also and figures suggest that almost 35 percent of Pakistanis who can afford doing qurbani of camels, goats, sheep and cows, put their share in this religious obligation. This year Pakistanis are also expected to spend more than Rs150 billion on upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. The sacrificial offering of around six million animals allow families not only to fulfil a religious duty, guarantee some much appreciated meat handouts to the poor and provide nearly half of the annual requirement of the country’s leather industry.
Apart from distributing meat shares among relatives, friends and poor families the hides or left over animal skins holds a great business industry now. These charitable hides are meant at helping poor masses, beggars, needy orphans and widows and the money generated by them is also spent on mosques, madrassahs and preaching of Islam.
In the present wave of Corona, government has announced certain precautionary measures and has ordered to follow strict SOPs during Eid days as social gathering at any place may increase the risk of spread of corona rapidly. However when every year large number of animals are slaughtered their skin hides carry a lot of value in markets and often certain charitable organizations come forward that these animal skins to be given to them.
Unfortunately terrorist elements do not waste the chance of grabbing their malicious objectives through these animal casings and start collecting these hides in massive campaigns throughout the country. Across Pakistan one can see banners displayed alongside roads claiming that sacrificial hides be given to them as they are original in their cause and the money will be used in appropriate and correct way.
Many militant organisations collect hides of sacrificial animals on Eid-ul-Azha under various excuses including Madrassahs, Jihad and welfare of aggrieved and deprived Muslims. It is worth noting that large number of Pakistanis living abroad in different non-Islamic countries if cannot make qurbani in their respective areas, they send a large number of amount to Pakistani charity organisations to do sacrifice of animals on their behalf.
So many brand names of such organisations come forward to grab money from these foreign based nationals and get financed from this money where often contributors do not verify the legal use of their amount. Therefore one must check and confirm about such false organizations, before making any contributions and charity. Government while knowing the motives of such organisations, devised a code of conduct on the hides of animals that they should only be given to those organisations who have obtained NOC (Non-Objection Certificate) from government or respective administrative offices of their localities are allowed to collect hides. This year in wake of Covid-19 more strictness is to be observed on Eid and skin hides can be given to only nominated organizations however things are always mishandled in remote areas.
Mainstream political and religious parties also collect animal hides where Jamaat-i-Islami uses its Al-Khidmat Foundation and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) its Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation (KKF) for the purpose. Similarly donations for charitable hospitals are also taken and one can see posters and banners in every nook and corner of the country that hides be donated to them. For past years many banned groups were involved in snatching these hides in different localities and then involved in their illegal selling to earn profit.
Particularly in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan such practice was common for the past many years. Overtime initiatives by government and strict checking helped not only to have peaceful collection of hides but cleanliness and dumping procedures were followed too. Such practices need to be followed again with forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha on 1st of August. This year Hajj is very different and symbolic too. Muslim pilgrims, donning face masks and moving in small groups after days in isolation will perform their unique Hajj. But considering the care and primary importance of health, it is mandatory for all to be observant and careful on this Eid.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
