Barzani Charity Foundation donates Qurbani meat to nearly 20K families

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Barzani Charity Foundation is set to distribute free meat from sacrificial animals for the Eid Al Adha holiday to nearly 20,000 families in the Kurdistan Region, according to an official of the charity.

The meat donations are part of a joint initiative of the BCF and Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates to help the disadvantaged during the Islamic event, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, during which thousands of livestock are sacrificed.

Over 100 cattle and 33 sheep are going to be slaughtered in the Kurdistan Region, where each family is set to receive at least 2kg of the donated meat, Stav Aso, the head of BCF’s Erbil Office, told Kurdistan 24 at one of the capital’s slaughterhouses.

Overall, 20,000 families will benefit from the donations, she said.

The Kurdish aid group is similarly undertaking donations in northeastern Syria (Rojava), where 200 sheep will be slaughtered for the same purpose. The meat will be distributed in Afrin, a Kurdish-majority city in Rojava, which was severally hit by the Feb. 6 deadly earthquakes, Ms. Aso added.

The BCF was the first international aid organization earlier this year to extend its aid to the area and southeastern Turkey.

Visiting the slaughterhouse, where the BCF workers were supervising the process, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw expressed his gratitude for the charity group’s donations.

The BCF is one of the most active humanitarian NGOs in Kurdistan that often provides a substantial amount of aid to internally displaced persons and refugees in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and northern Syria, as well as multiple programs to enrich the lives of displaced children.

The organization was founded in 2005 and, in its own words, “strives to honor the great legacy of Malla Mustafa Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish Liberation Movement and influencer of the contemporary Kurdish nation.”

Millions of Muslims in the Kurdistan Region on early Wednesday began their Eid Al Adha celebrations, which are set to continue until Saturday, July 1.

Beginning on Wednesday, the sacrifice ritual will continue until the last day of Eid, one of the two Islamic feasts that are celebrated annually. The feast also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca as well. 

The Kurdistan Region health officials have issued several health guidelines for the rite amid the rising infections of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a tick-borne disease that transmits from sick animals to human beings through direct contact with blood and fluids.

So far, five people have died in the Kurdistan Region due to the disease, against which no known cure or vaccine is currently available.

Slaughtering must be performed at certified facilities, where hygiene protocol is strictly followed, per the health guidelines. Sacrificial livestock must be checked for any disease and their meat must be handled with utmost care in a bid to prevent further infections.

Per Islamic rules of sacrifice, sheep, cattle, camels, and goats that are completely healthy and disease-free are eligible for slaughter.

The sacrifice of livestock symbolizes a Quranic story, in which God commanded Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, Ismail (Ishmael) to test his devotion and submission to God.

Despite attempts by the devil to dissuade the prophet from undertaking the command, Ibrahim was adamant to do so. In return, Angel Gabriel replaced Ismail with a ram at the last moment. The rite for Muslims is a testament to their obedience and faith.

Called Udhiyya in Arabic, Qurbani means sacrifice in Kurdish, and it is believed by Muslims that such an act of sacrifice will bring them closer to God. 

Additional reporting by Kurdistan 24 Erbil reporter Renas A. Saeed