Dec 29, 2006, 14:11 GMT
Jakarta - The Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, or the sacrifice season, is in the air, permeating the alleys, streets and neighborhood corners throughout Indonesia, the country with the largest population of Muslims in the world.
Eid al-Adha is a festival of animal sacrifice - inspired by the story of the Prophet Abraham - and vendors are herding animals by the thousands into urban centres.
In Biblical lore, Abraham agreed to prove his loyalty to his Lord by sacrificing his own son, but a celestial hand stayed his knife at the last second and spared the child. The prophet then slaughtered a sheep as an offering. During Eid al-Adha, Muslims commemorate Abraham's trials by slaughtering animals such as a sheep, cows or goats. For a few weeks before the big day, which falls on December 31 this year for Indonesian Muslims, most people can tell it's time to sacrifice, by just simply breathing. Nearly everywhere there is a particularly strong aroma in the air emitted by live goats and cows on display. Pedestrians and regular vendors in the crowded capital of Jakarta are feeling a bit claustrophobic as they have to share space with the sacrifical animals. 'I have been selling animals for Eid al-Adha for 15 years now, it's kind of an annual journey for my wife and I,' said Warto, 50, who like many Indonesian only use a single name. 'Every year I come all the way from central Java to try our luck selling these animals for the believers in Jakarta,' he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on a crowded street. Warto, his wife and 15 of his employees journeyed from Wonogiri, about 500 kilometers south-east of Jakarta, along with his 140 goats and 20 cows that he put on a humble display on a main street of south Jakarta area. 'By doing this, we also provide jobs for those who are jobless,' Warto said.
They spent a week doing their daily chores in a very humble tent on the street, sharing their space with the animals. Various sizes of goats and cows are on display for prices ranging from 800 thousand to 1.5 million Rupiah (about 90 to 165 dollars) for goats, or seven to ten million Rupiah for cows (about 780 to 1,110 dollars). 'You may think it's funny, but without us coming all the way from central Java, faithful Muslims in Jakarta will find it difficult to find animals for Eid al-Adha,' Yatno, 36, another animal seller on the Jakarta street told dpa. Kartono, 55, a regular buyer of the animals said that every year he goes to the streets to find good quality sacrificial beasts.
'These sellers provide us good quality of animal, and luckily, they are close by too,' she said. Kartono and many other believers avoid going to the main slaughterhouse in downtown Jakarta to get their animals. 'Too far away from our neighborhood,' she said. Warto, Yatno and many other sellers provide free slaughtering service for regular buyers, and they get to keep the cow's hide that is worth 200,000 rupiah (about 23 dollars). The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor.
Many social organizations and political parties have sent sacrifice meat to disaster areas due to the continued natural calamities that have hit Indonesia in recent years. Sacrificial-animal sellers also bear witnesses to the development and changes in the capital city. 'I've noticed that it's getting harder to find good locations for the animals, since many new buildings and houses have now emerged in Jakarta,' Warto said. 'Sure some people have complained to us regarding this 'aroma' before, but I'm sure they can tolerate it for once a year,' Warto smiled.
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