Mumbai: The Muslim community in Mumbai has been asked by its leaders to be careful and mindful of Hindu sentiments during the festival of Eid Al Adha which falls on Tuesday.
The holiday coincides with the 11-day Hindu Ganesh festival.
The entire city is abuzz with Ganesh pandals, big and small, being visited by thousands of Hindu followers who offer prayers and to experience the religious and festive fervour with their families during this time.
Muslim community leaders, therefore, are keen to avoid confrontations between the two communities and clerics across Mumbai have been making regular announcements in mosques to tell the people that the feelings of other communities must be kept in mind.
They have urged people to conduct the sacrifice of goats in covered areas, especially if they live in housing societies where people of other faiths also live.
Burhanuddin Qasmi, director of Federation of Minority NGOs, told Gulf News, “We have made an appeal on social media that everyone should celebrate with the spirit and sensitivity of Islam and take utmost care to not hurt others’ sentiments.
“We have also urged the youth not to record the performance of the sacrifice and upload it on social media. Moreover, they should observe hygiene and keep their surroundings clean.”
With the main Ganesh immersion falling on September 14-15, “which is also the third day of Eid Al Adha, community leaders have asked Muslims to offer the sacrifice in the morning and not show off the sacrificial animal, goat, in public,” Mohammad Ali Qureshi of the All India Jamiatul Quresh, told this paper.
He is also the president of the Suburban Beef Dealers Welfare Association.
“The present political atmosphere calls for caution on the part of the Muslim community,” he says. “Though there are no serious incidents of harassment in Mumbai, such cases have been reported outside the city. People have been asked not to sacrifice goats on road sides but in their own localities and that, too, with a cloth spread around the ritual area. With the recent cow slaughter ban that also includes bulls and bullocks, only water buffaloes are allowed for slaughter and this has to be strictly followed in the Deonar abattoir where police, civic officials and veterinarians are present.”
They have also advised people to take a certificate from the authorities and carry the meat in properly covered packages so that others, particularly vegetarians, are not offended. Another piece of advice is to observe personal hygiene so that blood stained clothes after sacrifice are not seen by others.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who extended his greetings today “to my Muslim brethren on this festival of sacrifice, dedication, love and charity” had earlier held meetings with police and civic officials and Muslim legislators to discuss the peaceful observance of this festival.
MLAs like Naseem Khan, Amin Patel and Waris Pathan have urged community members to not inconvenience fellow citizens and be conscious of not hurting the feelings of Hindus, including vegetarians, during the sacrifice of goats.
