I agree completely with you. I had been saying the same thing for years, but of no avail. A few years ago when I said that instead of Qurbani, I will give the money to a poor and needy villager to educate his children. My relations were so appalled and angry with me that they have stopped sending me Eid Mubarak messages since then.
- AR
From: "akbarh1950@gmail.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 1 October 2014, 21:38
Subject: [mukto-mona] An investment in ignorance
An investment in ignorance
I wonder if life is based on reason why faith is so inimical to reason. Last year a friend of mine and his wife spent 15000 dollars to perform Hajj. Being a highly educated person, honest and upright but declines to accept reason in religious matters. I advised him to invest this money in his native land, for the wellbeing of the poor and underprivileged but he said religiously he was bound to perform Hajj. I was castigated by his Hajj leader for my irreligious advice. I argued that there are millions of people who need help in education, health care and other necessities of life. This money could be of immense help to them but the mullah retorted that Allah will take care.
Every year from all the improvised Muslims nations millions of people goes to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. They spent millions of dollars in this ritual when millions languish in poverty in their native lands. They are in urgent need of food, education and health care. I ask how religious rituals can ignore the dire needs of the people. Is it not selfishness to follow dogmatic dictates and ignore the human needs? The whole aim of faith should be to serve the suffering humanity with humility rather than selfish rituals.
Then comes the slaughtering of the millions of livestock to please Allah. A sea of blood is offered to please a merciful entity. What a contradiction.
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