Srinagar: At a time when a diktat issued by various political and religious organizations asking Muslims to defy a 120 year old ban on cow slaughter and sale of beef in Jammu and Kashmir by sacrificing only bovine animals during coming Eid-ul-Adha to perform Qurbani has put the State government on tenterhooks, a reprieve has come from unexpected quarters.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the influential separatist leader, on Wednesday asked people not to indulge in any such act that may hurt the religious sentiments of other communities in the State.
“Allah has declared the meat of bovine animals as halal (lawful) for us. Neither can anyone declare it a forbidden entity nor stop us from consuming it. But at a time when, on the eve of Eid- ul- Adha, we uphold the sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim, we must not indulge in any such activity that could hurt the religious sentiments of any community,” he said in a statement to a local news agency KNS.
Qurbani or Udhiya is performed by Muslims during the Eid-ul-Adha or Bakar Eid to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)’s sacrifice as mentioned in the Qur’an.
The octogenarian separatist leader made a passionate appeal to the Muslims of the State that while upholding the religious sanctity of the Eid festival they “must not undermine the aspirations and sentiments of other religious communities.”
The leader Expressed concern over the reports of simmering tensions between Hindus and Muslims in some parts of the State’s Jammu region following J&K High Court’s recent instructions to the police to strictly enforce the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code which declares the slaughter of cow and other bovine animals a punishable offence. Mr. Geelani alleged that some fanatic elements are hell bent to fan the communal fires in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We appeal Hindu brothers not to fall prey to the criminal agenda of RSS and at all costs should not allow anyone to cause any religious divide,” he said asserting Muslims do not sacrifice bovine animals in vengeance to any community.
“If any entity is permissible in Hindu religion, we cannot declare it a forbidden one. In a similar manner, rendering sacrifices of animals is a religious obligation for the Muslims,” he said. He also said, “Our fight is a fight between the oppressor and the oppressed. There are some elements that are giving it the communal colour so that the attention from the real issue is diverted. We must keep a close vigil over such nefarious plans and should not indulge in any act that could give the ongoing resistance movement a communal colour.”
Mr. Geelani appealed the “freedom loving people of the State” not to hurt the sentiments of any religious community and the sacred exercise of sacrifice should be performed in such a way that it must not aggrieve or hurt others.
Earlier this month when the J&K High Court in an interim order on a PIL asked police to enforce ban on the sale of beef and take strict action against those who violate the law cows and other bovine animals were publicly slaughtered at several places in the Valley in retaliation. However, Mr. Geelani indirectly voiced his displeasure over the act.
“No such activity suits to any Muslim which can trigger communal tension or which will hurt sentiments and emotions of any other person”. He also sought to clarify, “Our protest is not against any particular section or the religion but (against) the controversial decision of the court which has hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community and has given birth to a discussion on this sensitive issue”, Geelani had said.
Meanwhile, the J&K police said on Wednesday that it has seized 218 bovine animals which were being ferried to Kashmir in 39 trucks and other vehicles from outside the Valley. SSP Poonch JS Johar said he had alerted police authorities at Surankote, Bafliaz and Behramgalla in the frontier district following which police parties under the supervision of SDPO Surankote, Riaz Tantray, laid half a dozen nakas on Mughal Road connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri with the Valley and some other locations.
"They subsequently seized 39 trucks and other vehicles in which bovine animals were being transported," he said.
Police said that earlier 36 bovine animals were seized while being transported to various areas in raids at Thanamandi and Surankote and another 17 in Samba and Kud area of the State. Police action comes around Jammu Divisional Commissioner, Pawan Kotwal’s, issuing fresh directions to all Deputy Commissioners of the region to implement High Court’s directions on beef ban in ‘letter and spirit’.
