S: Ah, of course. Eid is coming. So is the smell of bakras and other animals that people seem to love to butcher and eat. If that is not gluttony, I don’t know what is. I mean, how much meat does one want to eat? I mean, I like kebabs as much as the next person, but I just can’t stand the sight of any meat on Eid. It’s almost grotesque.
A: Haha… people sure do love eating on this Eid. But that is not the point of this ritual. It is about sharing. And contemplating on the virtue of sacrifice. Religion doesn’t say that one should just buy these animals, for the sake of making tasty karahi .
S: Frankly, I do not see that happening. My neighbour just bought 2 cows and 2 goats. They are three people in his family. Isn’t the whole concept of sacrifice the intention behind it? In Pakistan, I feel it is just to show off how big our cow is or how many camels I can buy. I mean, if you really want to do this for God, why not just pay money to Edhi or Shaukat Khanum, who would do it for you, and will use all of the proceeds on the needy people they have to feed.
A: There is nothing wrong in doing it yourself, if you can afford it. No one says that you cannot give it to charity, after giving it to your friends and relatives as well. And if you want to give it all away, well and good. I don’t see why there is always a debate on why a Muslim is not being ‘saintly’ enough. I mean, yes, showing off is defeating the purpose, but why always look at it in extremes?
S: Because the whole act and festival is extreme. How is mass sacrifice anything but? And why meat even? The same money can be spent on lentils and food that doesn’t spoil. We can feed so many more people. Yet, we are bound by the ritual. This is not charity. This is self-service to get to heaven.