Sacrifice only goats, sheep in Bakrid: Senior Islamic scholars

Senior Islamic scholars on Sunday urged Muslims to sacrifice only sheep and goats. They said Muslims should avoid sacrificing cattle including those permitted by local laws. The senior Muslim clergy held a meeting here to take stock of the increasing incidents of attacks on people, mostly Muslims, transporting buffaloes and bulls, in different parts of the country . In Telangana, slaughter of cows is prohibited while other cattle is permitted.

The Muslim scholars said Muslims intending to offer sacrificial animals during Bakrid should avoid bulls and buffaloes. They said Muslims had stopped sacrificing cows many decades ago and they will now stop offering bulls and buffaloes too, as



sacrificial animals.

The move, according to clerics, will help in thwarting attacks on Muslims by the socalled Gau rakshaks. Maulana Syed Hamid Hussain Shuttari, spokesman, All-India Sunni Ulema Board, appealed to Muslims “to avoid sacrifice of larger animals like bulls“.“Muslims should respect the sentiments of people of other religious communities. 

They should not sacrifice any member of the cattle family ,“ he said expressing concern over increasing attacks on Muslims.

The Muslim scholars urged the principal minority community to maintain hygiene and dispose of animal waste and skins properly.