MUMBAI: Muslims are looking forward to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha or Bakri-Eid on Wednesday with gaity and in a spirit of sacrifice. After the brief prayers in the morning at mosques, the community will get down to sacrificing goats and sheep.
This meat will then be used to prepare a variety of dishes. But then feasting is just one aspect. The main purpose of Bakri-Eid is reiteration of devotion to the divine rule, Muslim scholars say. Since the festival is a commemoration of prophet Abraham's unflinching faith and devotion to Allah's commandments, Muslims must try to show the same spirit when they celebrate Bakri-Eid.
"The sacrificial meat is divided into three parts. One part goes to the poor, the second to relatives and the third remains with the family. And the animal's skin is given as charity," explains senior cleric Maulana Shoeb Koti.
"This clearly shows that Allah wants Muslims to remember the poor in celebrations. This spirit will help establish justice in society."
This year, the festivities are rather low key as prices of essential commodities as well as goats have skyrocketed.
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Indian judges have ruled Hindus and Muslims will divide the site at the heart of a religious property dispute. Their verdict has been awaited for decades and is seen as a symbolic watershed in India's broader history of Hindu-Muslim tension.
Indian leaders are calling for peace and unity after a high court in the state of Uttar Pradesh issued what some are calling a victory for both Hindus and Muslims.
The court ruled a long-disputed holy site in the city of Ayodhya is to be divided between the two faith groups, with two thirds of the property to be administered by Hindus, and one third to be in the possession of Muslims.
Hindu groups successfully convinced judges about the importance of the site to members of their faith, who believe the area is the birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama, one of their most revered deities. An Islamic mosque stood on the spot for hundreds of years before a Hindu mob destroyed it in 1992. That sparked violence around the country that killed more than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims.
A lawyer representing Muslim plaintiffs in the case, Zafaryab Jilanni, says the verdict is a step towards unity. He said the judgment indicates that Muslims and Hindus must coexist in India.
A lawyer for Hindu litigants, Ravi Shankar Prasad, called for Muslims and Hindus to view the verdict positively. "I would appeal to them in all humility, please accept this verdict ... it will lead to new amity, new brotherhood and a resurgent India," he said.
Hindu-Muslim resentment historically has been one of the greatest strains on India's social fabric. As the verdict approached, the government dispatched nearly 200,000 security personnel to prevent renewed violence. Major Indian media outlets agreed to a range of mandatory and voluntary restraints on coverage to avoid inciting emotion. The mass distribution of mobile text messages also was curtailed.
Several parties on both sides of the dispute have said they will appeal the decision to the Indian Supreme Court. That is expected to further delay the Ayodhya case, which has been in the court system for 60 years.
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RSS FeedIndian Court Orders Holy Site Divided Between Hindus, Muslims Kurt Achin|New Delhi30 September 2010
Photo: AFPIndian security personnel stand guard as an elderly man walks past on September 29, 2010 in Ayodhya, on the eve of a court ruling that divided a long-contested holy site in the city between Hindus and Muslims (AFP). Share ThisDiggFacebookStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usRelated ArticlesIndia Braces For Verdict In Charged Religious Property Dispute 
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