RSS Muslim wing to discourage sacrifice of cows on Eid

RSS-affiliate Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) will launch a countrywide campaign - with special focus on Indian state Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar - to persuade Muslims against sacrifice of cows on Eid al Adha aka Bakra Eid, expected to fall on September 2, reports Indian English-language daily Hindustan Times.

MRM has called a meeting of ulamas (Islamic scholars) associated with the organisation on Tuesday in New Delhi, where a resolution will be passed in the presence of senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who oversees MRM’s activities.

“Our appeal to Muslims against sacrificing of cows during Eid al-Adha is based on a fatwa issued by Darool Uloom Deoband four years ago. We asked the Islamic seminary’s fatwa department for its ruling on whether hurting the sentiments of the Hindus by offering cow sacrifices is sanctioned in Islam. They said Islam does not sanction hurting the sentiments of neighbours adhering to other beliefs,” said Mohammad Afzal, MRM’s national convenor.

This move comes following their campaign to replace beef in iftaar parties with cow milk. During Ramzaan, MRM organised more than 1,000 cow milk parties across India.

On Tuesday, more than 100 ulamas from various parts of the country are expected to attend the meeting.

“We’ll focus on Bengal because it is the state where our campaign against cow slaughter faced the toughest resistance. There is a court order banning cow slaughter on Eid al-Adha in the state but the government never tried to implement it,” said Afzal.