Holy Goats Mark the Beginning of Eid-ul-Azha
In celebration of Eid-ul-Azha, goat owners have congregated in New Delhi to peddle their goats.
Eid-ul-Azha is an Islamic holiday celebrated to give honor to Abraham, a prophet who was willing to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, to please the Muslim deity Allah. But before the sacrifice could commence, Allah intervened and told him he could sacrifice a ram instead.
Ever since that day in antiquity, Muslims have been honoring Abraham’s incredible love for Allah by sacrificing a ram of their own. However, they don’t necessarily have to sacrifice a ram. According to Sharia law, they can sacrifice a cow, camel, goat, or sheep. Goats are the most popular. Regardless, once they’ve terminated the animal’s existence, the meat is then divided into three parts, and then distributed to family, relatives and friends, and the poor.
The thing about this sacrifice is that it’s better to slit the throat of a divine or holy animal. Therefore, every time Eid-ul-Azha approaches, goat owners adorn their cattle with jewelry and other ornaments in an attempt to exude a sense of royalty and greatness. The ultimate goal? “Mo money, mo money, mo money!”
Truthfully, though, it’s not quite that simple. For a goat to be considered divine and therefore worthy of a hefty price, it must be at least one year old, have anywhere between two to four teeth (anymore is a sign of old age), be healthy, and have no deformities or defects such as an illness, a missing limb, or whatnot. Plus the goat must have been obtained by legal methods.
Goats that fill all of the above-mentioned criteria can easily sell for at least 5,000 rupees, or 105.25 USD. However, this year there was a goat priced at 4.5 lakh, which is equivalent to approximately 10,152.38 USD. “Why?” you ask. It has a natural pattern on its back that reads like ‘Allah’. It’s kind of like a dorito shaped like the Pope’s hat.
The man who bought the goat doesn’t seem too concerned with either the price or pattern, though.
“I am sure it will be juicy and delicious,” he said.
Indeed……
CHEERS!
By V Saxena on 30-11-2010
V Saxena
