Muslim Community from Arakan Unhappy this Eid ul Azha


Narinjara News
1/5/2007

Many Muslim families from northern Arakan State were unable to enjoy this year's Eid ul Azha festival due to the high price of sacrificial animals in Arakan, said a well-known townsperson from Maungdaw.

As the animals, including bulls and cows, were priced high, many ordinary Muslim families could not celebrate the festival, having lost their opportunity to make the appropriate sacrifices.

The prominent townsperson said, "Many families had no chance to celebrate the festival due to the high price of cattle during the festival period, and many poor Muslim families lost their opportunity for sacrificial purpose this year."

Apart from rich families in Maungdaw, many Muslim families were unable to celebrate the Eid ul Azha religious festival this year.

A source reported the Nasaka authority ordered the Muslim community in Maungdaw to celebrate this year's Eid ul Azha festival with cattle from Maungdaw Township only, and not to bring cattle from other townships even though the prices for cattle are cheaper elsewhere.

Since cattle were not permitted to be brought to Maungdaw Township from other townships, the price of cattle in Maungdaw rose significantly during the festival season.

A Muslim trader from Maungdaw told Narinjara on the phone yesterday that he had no problem buying cattle at the inflated price, but there were no more cattle being sold to celebrators. In Maungdaw Township, there were not enough cattle for households to use for sacrifices without importing cattle from other townships.

A source said that during the Eid ul Azha festiva, which was held on 1 January 2007, the price for a large bull was 1.8 million kyat, while a middle-aged bull was 1.5 million kyat.

It has also been learned that Burma Nasaka authority extorted 1000 kyat from a family for their holiday sacrifice of a cow. #

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