Inshallah, let Bakri Id be banned!

It's everywhere and you can feel it! I mean it's all over the place in the media...pictures of goats at the Jama Masjid, little boys tugging to their new found friendly beasts and the not so subtle protests against Camel sacrifices. Come on guys...why do you people in the media are restraining yourself from expressing your feelings! Lets call a spade, a spade. That is Bakri Id is disgusting! The very basic idea of this festival looks so immoral that I'm sure Allah and his prophet would surely be appalled at this senseless and cruel loss of life. How are you remembering the Prophet's sacrifice of his son by killing a goat that you bought only yesterday in the market? Surely there must be better ways than this. Infact Islam has several wonderful religious obligations which make this senseless killings even more regretful. Whatever happened to laws on the merciful killing of animals in abattoirs. (killing...merciful?!...Ahem!)

Ok..let me clarify certain things to defend myself from any fatwas! First, I was born and brought up as a vegetarian. So I'm obviously prejudiced and insensitive to the feelings of non-vegetarians. Second, I equally condemn and abhor animal sacrifices at Hindu temples. Third, I am not against feasting meat during festivals. But killing animals at home as if it were a way joyous ritual makes me sick. Why can't we go buy meat from the market and celebrate? We might well be killing as many animals, but we certainly will look less barbaric to the young children at home.

Flash back time....Bakri Id and few days after that were my childhood horror days back home in a small town in Northwest Tamil Nadu where I grew up. (It has close to fifty percent Muslim population) Bakri Id Day will start blissfully with blood flowing in most of the open drainages of my town. I used to boast to my friends that my own Agraharam street was possibly the only exception. As the day progresses, every dust bin on street corners will be filled with animal wastes. And finally at dusk, our very own town market will see all the goats assemble there.... minus two critical ingredients...their flesh and ofcourse the soul. i.e Their beloved Master's will be selling their skins. If you think thats the end of the story, then there's more. For the next several days, every street corner will have smiths working overtime burning the heads of the goats. Aha...what a wonderful smell it used to be! I can't believe I am still alive after spending some 12 Bakri Ids there. Moral of the story is...If you need a sight seeing tour of hell, please come visit me in my adopted home town during Bakri Id.