Bakr Id: Bengal Imams body asks Muslims to be cautious about efforts to disrupt peace

A representative body of the Imams of mosques in West Bengal on Sunday urged the members of the Muslim community to offer namaz during the coming Id Ul Zuha or Bakr Id festival in small gatherings in COVID-19 time and thwart any effort by vested interest groups to disrupt peace.

A representative body of the Imams of mosques in West Bengal on Sunday urged the members of the Muslim community to offer namaz during the coming Id Ul Zuha or Bakr Id festival in small gatherings in COVID-19 time and thwart any effort by vested interest groups to disrupt peace. The festival will be held from July 31 to August 1.

As there is no indication of another total lockdown in the state during the festival, members of the community will possibly be able to offer namaz in small gatherings following all COVID-19 safety protocols, the Bengal Imams Association said in a statement. But it has to be ensured that vested interest groups do not get any opportunity to foment trouble, it said.

The Association also urged members of the community to "refrain from distributing meat of slaughtered animals during the festival among people outside the locality and not to strangers as certain political forces may take advantage of any such situation to inflame religious passion." In the COVID-19 situation, if someone from the community is Ill and confined to home, he should not be forced to take part in animal slaughter, it said..