No Eid praying, but celebrate Qurbani (sacrifice) in Maungdaw

KPN News

October 16, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rohingya community in Maungdaw had not able to celebrate the Muslim biggest festival of Eid-ul-Adaha mass praying, but able to sacrifice (Qurbani) today in Maungdaw, said Anwer, a community leader from Maungdaw.

The village administration officer had collected from 2000-3500 kyat per sacrificed cow, in the name of U Kyi San, the admin officer of Maungdaw Township, Anwer said.

The authority took all sale tax and other taxes while an animal- cow and goat-  was sale in the market, why again the village admin collected money  in the name of Maungdaw admin officer, it is totally unfair and it is also discrimination of religious, Anwer more added.

We prayed our Eid praying in the houses with relatives and we sacrificed to cow as Qurbani, using to distribute the meat to the poor in Maungdaw. Most of Rohingya community who can able to sacrificed to cow as Qubani were giving their sacrificed meat to the poor who lost their homes, property since June 8, 2012, said Hashim, a social worker from Maungdaw.

“We are happy to distribute meat to poor as they are not able to buy meat as it cost more than 8000kyat per kilogram,” Hashim said.

But, some security force had disturbed who were going to sacrifice cow (Qurbani) in the rural area – police personnel robbed meat from Maulana Ayub who had brought meat from Ngan Chaung to Ooshaikya today evening, said  Ahmed, an elder from Maungdaw north.

Maungdaw district administration officer-U Aung Myint Soe- summoned all village admin officers from Maungdaw in his office on October 14 where he held a meeting with them, said a participant of the meeting said preferring not to be named.

In the meeting, the district admin officer asked to submit the list of university students which the Rohingya community asked the President U Thein Sein about the future of Rohingya students; to help the security personnel to maintain law and order in the areas and the emergency Act 144 had been imposed in the areas to maintain peace between two communities-Rakhine and Rohingya. The Act did not allow to gather more than five persons, so next coming Muslin festival – Eid ul Adaha –did not allow to mass praying in the field or in the mosques, religious institutes and building. All village must help and cooperate the security force and administration office, the participant said.

But the impact of the Act 144 is only for Rohingya community, not for Rakhine community, the participant more added.