Covid on Eid ul Ezha:
Covid has been identified in Pakistan since 2019, causing severe respiratory illness in people of all ages. Being a contagious virus, it has been causing some severe diseases like pneumonia, often leading to death. In the last year, dozens of virus cases have been reported in various parts of Pakistan. And still again, in 2022, coronavirus cases can be seen again in Pakistan with a 4.61 percent covid positivity ratio.
In the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world offer prayers and charity known as Qurbani. This year’s Bakra Eid (Eid-ul-Azha) will fall on 10th July. Recently coronavirus cases have been increasing daily. it has been important to take action before the coronavirus cases reach a number that can’t be controlled. For this reason, the NCOC has taken the step to implement guidelines so that the number of issues can be controlled.
On Tuesday, the national command and operation Centre (NCOC) in Islamabad issued new guidelines for the event of Eid ul azha. Due to increased covid cases, some strict guidelines have made face masks and social distance mandatory.
“Being a significant religious event/congregation, Eid-ul-Azha prayer and Qurbani assumes greater importance under the current COVID situation in the country,” NCOC stated in a recent statement.”
Several guidelines need to be followed for Eid ul Azha prayers and Qurbani. The Eid-ul-Azha holiday prayers ought to be organized in a wide-open space under strict rules concerning the spread of Covid-19. If there is an issue with providing the prayers inside a mosque, all doors and windows must be left open for optimum ventilation to decrease the chances of a disease outbreak.
According to NCOC, Ideally, 2-3 Eid prayers should be held at a single location with staggered timings so that as many individuals as possible can pray with coronavirus protocols. Also, When leading Eid prayers, Eid sermons, and Khutbaas, all Ulemas should be aware of the need to keep lectures concise to ensure that attendees remain in the prayer venue for a short duration.
As a goal, attempts must be made to discourage sick, elderly, and young children from going to Eid prayers. Under no circumstances do those arriving at the prayer venue should not have to enter wearing any form of covering for their head. There should be many way to enter and exit the mosques to fight clutter, and preventing disease transmission. Venue organizers should ensure the availability of all the needed hand sanitizers at these points.
Several guidelines should be followed regarding offering Qurbani during this festival. Some of these include ensuring that the animal is free from any illnesses, slaughtering it in a way that is considered humane, and burying or burning its carcass quickly so as not to create environmental pollution.
Efforts will be made to promote public, private, and community higher education to ensure adherence to coronavirus protocols, such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and avoiding large congregations. Region-controlled Ulemas should ensure continuous public, online, and offline Qurbani, enabling center communal appreciation.
Regions should set up advertising campaigns to promote awareness of the possible spread of coronavirus during meat distribution. So meats should be handled with care as meat-processing centers are far from residential areas. The slaughtering site should be away from residential areas and preferably open wide spaces.
