Eid Do's and Don'ts

If you have lived in Bangladesh anytime in your life, there is a chance that you have seen a sacrificing ritual take place right in front of your eyes. This means that on Eid day, your house along with every other house in your neighbourhood will practice animal sacrifice out in the open. The result is a very bloody Dhaka city on Eid day. 

While everyone understands the concept of religious sacrifice, only a few understand and take into account the actual procedure involving the sacrificing of animals. It seems that nobody cares about the rules. 

Take your neighbour for example. He is probably too busy telling everyone about the really expensive cow he bought and never too bothered about the mess he makes in the street, in the garage or even in the apartment lift. 

To ensure that you do not follow in the incredibly shallow footsteps of your really old-school neighbour, we have devised a list of things you should and should not do this Eid. 

Do's
For starters, make sure the animal is kept in a clean environment, safe from ticks and flies. This can be done by cleaning the place where the animal is kept at least twice a day. Ensure the surrounding areas are clean and keep the animal away from waste. 

Give the animals a bath before the actual ritual and make sure to dry them properly to avoid infecting them with germs and other infection. Another important thing to do is to sterilise the place of slaughter. Buy cleaning supplies including bleach and anti-bacterial products. Some common anti-bacterial products include Aquagreen and Kleen Off. Be sure to scrub and completely clean the place till it looks like you could eat off the floor.

Also remember to get professional butchers. You want people who will do it fast and do it right. However, finding a professional butcher might be tough to do during Eid as the demand for butchers far exceed the number of butchers available. In this case, hire someone competent and supervise the entire process yourself. Also, remember to get yourself a clean up crew for the after. Following the many sacrifices that will take place in an apartment building, your lift, stairs and garage will smell and look scary so make sure you have a cleaning crew who will scrub it down and clean up the mess. 

Don'ts
Taking pictures and posting them on Facebook comes to us naturally but avoid taking selfies of the ritual. The last thing people want to see is blood and the remains of an animal. So do a no-selfie contest for 24 hours. This goes against the spirit of the ritual. Also, do not sit this one out. Be part of the ritual by helping with the clean up. Being clean is not beneath you so do not leave it for others. Do it yourself. 

Taking on the act of slaughter all by yourself is another no-no. While being a part of the ritual has a religious significance, it is unnecessary to take on the job of others. Leave it to the professionals. And finally, do not mess with the animal. It is sad how much animals are mistreated every day. Do not become part of that crowd. Animal cruelty in any form is absolutely unacceptable.

Also remember that while it is good to involve and familiarise your children with certain parts of the ritual, letting them watch the actual sacrifice can be damaging to a young mind. The government has issued orders that no underaged individual should slaughter animals. This move should be praised.  One can also ensure that minors are not directly involved or a witness to the actual act of slaughtering. 

So do things right this Eid and encourage your friends and family to take the cleaner and better route. 

By Naveed Naushad
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed