Eid Mubarak!

Eidul Azha, an important religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country today amidst due religious fervour and spirit of sacrifice. We take this opportunity to greet our fellow Muslims, especially our readers, with the traditional greeting ‘Eid Mubarak,’ with the hope that you and yours have a blessed and satisfying celebration. Let us also remember those who have been bereaved; affected by the floods which ravaged the country or are suffering in any other way, especially those who have been through the horrors that acts of terrorism bring about on innocent persons and those they leave behind. And foremost among those we must remember and pray for are the brave soldiers fighting to save our beloved country from the entities who would bring it down, so we and our children can live in peace and security.
We all know that Eidul Azha is celebrated to commemorate Hazrat Ibrahim's devotion to Allah, proved by his readiness to give up his dearest son Hazrat Ismail. He arranged everything to implement Allah's order at Mina near Makkah but satisfied by his sincere intent, Allah ordered Ibrahim to sacrifice an animal in place of his son. Marking the event at Mina and around the world, Muslims sacrifice animals and are bound to share the sacrificial meat with their relatives, neighbours and the underprivileged people living in the area without favouring one group and in equal proportions to retain the essence of the sacrifice.
While we celebrate this important festival, let us remember that sacrifice does not mean only the slaughtering of an animal and distributing its meat, although it is an important injunction of the festival - we should also espouse, by our actions and behaviour, the true spirit of the word and its meaning. These days, when Pakistan is facing both internal and external problems in one form or another, it is time to set aside our differences, such as provincialism and religious dogma and stand united, sacrificing self satisfaction and selfish interests for the good of this great country. Let us remember that if Pakistan is there, then we have an identity and can proudly call ourselves Pakistanis, otherwise we are nothing and will be relegated to the dustbins of history.