KARACHI:
Eid is an auspicious occasion for all Muslims, especially for Pakistani Muslims, as people make ends meet to prepare to celebrate this religious and cultural festival. The month of Ramazan is considered a time for self-reflection and self-discipline. Ironically, as soon as the month ends people indulge in a competition for the forged essence of Eid. People spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes, which are merely ostentatious but evoke a sense of pressure on others.
Retailers also raise prices and charge hefty amounts for attires just before Eid. Instead of practising austerity and upholding the spirit of Ramazan, people prioritise glitz and glam, which is a mere illusion. Unfortunately, people struggling to run their households due to low incomes and high inflation feel like the odd ones out when they look at the price tags and are left flabbergasted. It is atrocious to think that people struggling to put food on the table are made to feel like outcasts.
The flamboyant sales and the so-called Bachat Bazars are nothing but another distortion in the name of discounted prices. The media also emphasises the brands that are enticing customers to purchase from them instead of promoting benevolence. Considering this, it will not be wrong to say that we have lost the essence of our occasions in the lust for extravagance and luxuries instead of focusing on moral values. People should continue to follow the values and righteousness that they follow in Ramazan instead of foregoing all the goodwill and charity on Eid.
Hudesa Imam
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2023.
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