Qurbani

Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University, in his essay “When Rituals become Religion” writes,

 “Would it be heretical to suggest that instead of sacrificing animals and overeating meat for several days, pious Muslims should donate money to help poor people undergo some simple eye operations that will save or restore their sight, or do some other good deed that will bring joy to the lives of those who are deprived of decent living conditions?”

Reading it made me pull out my calculator to see the kind of money that could be available in Pakistan alone, and lo and behold, it went berserk and could not display the result and showed ERROR when I multiplied one million (the least number expected out of 170 million people who would perform the sacrifice ) by Rs. 25,000 (the average price of a sacrificial animal which ranges from Rs.15,000 to Rs.150,000 and more!!) Oh Boy ! it is Rs. 25,000,000,000/= 25 Billion rupees!!!

Where does all this money go? To the stomachs, the overstuffed refrigerators and the Mullah with skins selling at Rs. 1000/= a piece !!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)