The collection of hides of the animals sacrificed during Eidul Azha is an ongoing issue in the country.
ABBOTTABAD: The collection of hides of the animals sacrificed during Eidul Azha is an ongoing issue in the country. Violating the spirit of this great Islamic event, the collection of hides goes on unabated either by political parties, religious parties or jihadi organisations. The government has not been able to do anything about it except announce that certain banned organisations cannot collect hides. Political parties, religious parties and even banned organisations are able to collect hides easily under the garb of their respective welfare organisations. This Eid saw a lot of political activity with members of these organisations chanting slogans, appealing on loudspeakers and displaying banners exhorting people to donate hides to their organisations only.
People will obviously donate hides at their convenience and most likely to those who come to their doorsteps or to nearby hide collection camps. If political parties, religious parties and other organisations can undertake an organised campaign in this regard, why can’t the government do the same to ensure that the money from the hides reaches those who are most deserving? This money should go under the head of Zakat. The government’s Zakat department should organise collection points across the country for the collection of hides. This way, people will get the opportunity to donate the hides with ease, while those entities which only collect hides to fill their kitties or even for illegal purposes will be deprived of the opportunity to do so.
Haider Karim
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2012.
