Kolkata: Muslim clerics and imams in West Bengal have appealed to the community to avoid sacrificing cows and distributing beef during Bakrid, which will be observed across the country on May 28.
Bakrid, also known as the festival of sacrifice, is traditionally marked by the slaughter of animals and sharing meat as charity. Against this backdrop, the appeal comes amid a changed political situation in the state following the recent Assembly election, in which the BJP won and Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister.
Maulana Shafiq Qasmi, Imam of Kolkata’s Nakhoda Masjid, said Muslims should refrain from cow sacrifice and also avoid eating beef. He further said the Union government should declare the cow a protected national animal.
He argued that avoiding cow sacrifice would also prevent hardship for Hindu cattle-rearers who sell cows, noting that large sums of money are involved in such transactions. Similar views were echoed by Pirzada Ziauddin Siddiq of the state’s well-known Furfura Sharif, who said that since Hindus worship the cow, Muslims could instead consume goat and sheep meat.
Earlier, on May 13, the West Bengal Home Department introduced an amendment to the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950. The change requires written certification from panchayat or municipal authorities and a government veterinarian to confirm that a cow being slaughtered is over 14 years old.
