KARACHI:
Millions of Muslims around the world will be performing the ritual of qurbani with the intent to please God. This act of qurbani is not merely a ritual, but it has a significant moral meaning behind it. One must please God by sacrificing a living being that we have an emotional connection with. It is not just about sacrificing an animal, rather it is about sacrificing our will and ego in front of God; it is about forgoing our desires.
The irony is that with the start of this sacrificial month, vendors start slaying poor people by increasing the prices of basic necessities. Tomatoes are being sold for Rs180 per kg while ginger, another essential cooking item, is being sold for Rs800 per kg. Such price hikes are not only absurd but also criminal, especially for those who cannot even afford two square meals a day.
Pakistanis have forgotten that the main intention behind qurbani is to sacrifice our will and facilitate the poor, not to store things to earn exorbitant amounts of profit.
Bismah Baig Mirza
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2021.
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