A good example happened today. I was speaking about Eid Adha and I was telling a fellow teacher that I was lucky enough to have been part of a sacrificing a goat last year. It was my first proper Eid and my brother made it something really special and unforgettable for girl like me , who has been Muslim for 3 years and 5 months now.
Somehow the thread of the story got to the ears of another teacher. Her comment to this was: (believe me, I am not joking). "So, did you drain the blood into a bowl and drink it? " Yes, I am not joking! That is what came out of her mouth!
Now, I don't really participate in deep intellectual conversations, because at the end of the day, someone is trying to out smart someone. However, I do believe that a level of proper knowledge is required to participate in any kind of conversation.
So, when I am talking about Islam and all you can answer me is "Do you drink the fresh blood afterwards?" I couldn't help myself to look at her crossed eyed for a split second. I was thinking "Are you actually kidding me?"
Then it move on to Africans do it!!! Then I was even more astonished!
So, this is the break down of what Eid is all about. Eid Adha is the second celebration after Eid Al-Fitr, which usually takes places after Ramadan. In Eid Al-Fitr most Muslims eat a lot of sweet foods, to celebrate the sweetness of finishing Ramadan.
So, Eid Adh occurs after Hajj and it is highly recommended for Muslims to fast on the day of Arafah.
Eid Adha is the sacrificial eid, During Eid Adha Muslims sacrifice an edible animal in the memory of Ibrahim (PBUH) for his great trial. Muslim should evoke Allah's name when doing so for Allah has given us power to eat what He has given to us. The sheep should be slaughter with a sharp knife in such a manner where the animal should be killed instantly and not feel pain nor tense up. Often a hole is dug in the ground, where the blood should flow. The animal is then skinned and divided into three parts. One for the person who sacrificed the animal, the other part to families and closed friends and the other part to feed the poor.
Eid Adha is an act of conviction, and act of obedience to what Allah asked of us to do and to also feed the poor and hungry.
There is NO DRINKING OF BLOOD!!!! Blood in Islam is actually holy and shouldn't be consumed. Therefore no Muslim would ever consume that.
So, this is what breaks down in a bus trip daily from school to the compound.
However, I have learned one thing from this shopping trip! Keep quiet if you don't know, before saying anything strange.
I thrive in information. I believe that it is our right and our duty as people to find out as much information as we can about our surrounding and the places we want to visit. This is where the second incidents comes in.
Now, when people say Africans drink blood. That comes like a whip lash at the back of my neck.
I am an African by name (literally my name is African) and my entire family enjoys roaming in the lands of the Eastern Cape, raising chickens and goats. When we have a nice celebration or a ceremony we slaughter an animal, like a goat to feed the people!!! TO FEED!!! Not to drink their blood or do something weird. I am speaking on behalf of the Southern African nations. In our culture we enjoy meat, we enjoy slaughtering our own rather than buying a goat that has been shot to the chest and probably will taste like rubber.
However people must not get confused between what is a cultural practice, a religious practice or a witchcraft practice.
Culturally most Africans don't drink blood. I know in Kenya, the very primitive nomads drink the blood of the goat or sheep, because it a good source of protein and iron. However that practice has thinned so much, that not even these tribes practice them anymore.
In Southern Africa between the Xhosa, Zulu and the other smaller tribes, no one drinks blood. It is just not done. In our eyes, blood is also seen as holy and something that should be sent back to nature. Often when a slaughtering takes place at a wedding or even at a celebration, the slaughtering will occur in an area where there is lots of soil and grass for the blood to be soaked up.
Now, regarding witchcraft and mysticism blood is probably drunk in Africa, Asia, the Americas and even in Europe. When you are evil, you are just that.. EVIL. It doesn't mater what tribe, country or creed you are from. If you worship and do things that go against nature then it is wrong. It is not an African thing! It is a human defect thing! I don't know about drinking blood and I AM AFRICAN!!! I don't think it is healthy to generalize on this particular manner, especially if the bus is shared with Muslims and with Africans!!
I enjoy it if people ask people questions rather than just accept whatever is in their heads about things that affect other people. We should read instead of just accepting things.
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