Jamiat chief urges Muslims to avoid prohibited animal sacrifice, social media posts on slaughtered animals

NEW DELHI: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani on Tuesday urged Muslims to avoid sacrificing prohibited animals and advised those facing obstruction in offering buffalo sacrifice to take the administration into confidence and perform the sacrifice at a place where there is no disruption.Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in India on May 28.In his message to the Muslim community ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, Madani said that a person on whom sacrifice is obligatory must perform this obligation, but added that, in view of the current situation, Muslims should take precautionary measures on their own.“Avoid advertising, especially sharing pictures of slaughtered animals on social media,” Madani said.He also urged Muslims to strictly follow government guidelines while performing the sacrifice and avoid sacrificing prohibited animals, reported ANI.“If mischievous elements, at any place, prevent the sacrifice of a buffalo, some sensible and influential people should take the administration into confidence, and then sacrifice should be offered.”“If, however, there is no way to fulfil this religious obligation, then a sacrifice should be offered in a nearby place where there is no difficulty,” the Jamiat chief said.Emphasising cleanliness during the festival, Madani urged Muslims, Jamiat volunteers and imams to actively participate in cleanliness drives by forming volunteer teams to properly dispose of waste after the sacrifice.He said the teams should help keep their areas clean and ensure that no one faces discomfort or harm because of their actions.Meanwhile, former vice-president Hamid Ansari on Monday appealed to Muslims not to slaughter cows during Eid-ul-Azha and urged the Centre to consider Madani’s suggestion of declaring the cow as the national animal.Ansari’s remarks came days after Madani said the cow should be granted the status of the national animal. He had said Muslims would have no objection to such a move and would instead be pleased that mob lynching carried out in the name of cow protection could come to an end.Madani also questioned what political compulsion was preventing the government from declaring the cow the national animal when a majority of people in the country regard it as sacred and accord it the status of a mother.