Some religious scholars and social experts say slaughtering animals in the public glare has negative effects on children. They say the ritual should be conducted in accordance with Islamic principles.
A specific place should be determined for sacrificing animals away from the sight of children, they suggest.
Speaking, Mohammadullah Motamed, a professor of the psychology faculty at Bamyan University, said slaughtering animals in the presence of children was a violent and unnatural act, which could have a negative impact on them.
He said when children saw such scenes, they encountered psychological issues, such as bedwetting, nightmares and behavioral changes.
In big cities, where children do not deal with livestock, animal slaughter remains etched on their minds for a long time and cause them long-term mental disorders.
Referring to slaughtering animals in public places, he said the practice not only affected minors, but also women and people with heart problems.
He suggested sacrificial animals be slaughtered at specific sites and away from people’s sight to jeep children safe from mental and psychological problems.
Ali Mohammadi, a social expert, also noted animal slaughter at weddings Eid and other occasions in public view without considering the sensitive state of children. The practice effectively fuelled violence among children, he argued.
The conclusion that children drew from watching such scenes was that violence was a normal phenomenon, the expert pointed out.
Mohammadi says children’s thought process is more objective, and after witnessing such scenes, they will come to the conclusion that it is easy to take the life of another creature.
Children under the age of seven, unlike adults, are unable to argue and accept what they see. Hence one child may do a similar thing against another, he reasons.
He reminded that slaughtering and killing animals in front of children under the age of 13 was a very dangerous practice and the authorities should specify a suitable place away from the eyes of the people so that the people remain safe from environmental and psychological problems.
But some residents say animals are slaughtered here in public places without qualms.
Abdul Sattar, hailing from the Qarghanto area of the provincial capital, said that slaughtering animals in public places was a routine affair.
He added there had been a practice among people, unaware of its consequences and psychological effects on children, to slaughter animals in the presence of everyone, including children, during weddings, Muharram and Khatm-ul-Quran events.
Mohammad Ali, another resident of the area, said: “Seven years ago, I slaughtered a sheep in the presence of family members, including my two-year-old child.
“It caused anxiety and a long-term psychological problem for my child and that scene remains etched on his mind even after seven years.”
According to Ali, his child is nine-year-old now but is still afraid of blood and most of the time cannot go out of home at night.
Ali Juma Rizwani, a scholar based in Bamyan City, said Islam had laid down principles for animal slaughtering. Those principles must be followed, he stressed.
He explained the slaughterer must be Muslim and the sacrificial animal, facing the Qibla, be slaughtered with a sharp knife by pronouncing the name of Allah.
He stressed animal be slaughtered in a place away from the sight of children and even other animals to avoid spreading a negative impact.
Abdul Hakim Mousavi, head of social and cultural services at the municipality, said they had specified a place at the Qanoon-i-Asasi Intersection for the slaughter of all animals during Eid-ul-Adha to keep the city clean.
He said information in this regard had been conveyed through district and relevant council officials and people did not reserve the right to slaughter animals in public places.
sa/mud
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