The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-20
THE FEAST or SACRIFICE.
4 Celebration That often Causes Ms.
tuPbances In India.

To THE EDITOR oY THE SuS-Sv: Ac-
cordins to a recent despatch from India q
disturbance was threatened In Calcutta
on the occasion OF the great Mohammedan
festival known a. the feast OF sacrifice
Many years ago when was living in large
city in India a British regiment was sta
toned within ia walls 10 preserve order at
IN" time OF the festival and when I travelled
in Cashmere. which IL a Mo-lsm state ruled
ny a Hindu raiah. found that killing a COW
the sacred animal OF the Hindu-. involved
capital punishment. while IN. Staying OF a
man was but minor offence
This feast - known IA tn. Zohur In India
and IN. BaiTam in Turkey. and IL was insti-
'ured nv rh- Prophet in commemoration Of
the patriarch Abraham being willing to
sacrifsc" his son IshnaeI. not Isaac. To do
the terrible deed a. commanded nv God
the patriarch folded his turban round his
eyes and "a he thought. plunged the knife
into the throat Of his son. but when he un =
folded tho turban from his eyes he di-cov-
cred that The Angel Gabriel had substituted
n broad tailed sheep. which Law dead az his
feat
The Arabs have celebrated the feast ever
since ~ forms the last act OF the hadj. or
pilgrimage to Mecca IL Ia also celebrated
in every household throughout Islam In
the capital Of the Turkish Empire. at Cairo.
in sight OF tho historic pyramids. among the
y
OF Persia. in Cabui. in Delhi. Lucknow and
Calcutta, everywhere among the 2op. 600 100
of the human family who Acknovl I'd 80
Mohammed as prophet OF Cod the feast Is
observed.
This great festival occupies . -plac-
among Mo-lems similar To that Of Easter
among Christians The people all wear
new clothes the men new iurbans. new
coats and new shoes and the women new
wells. new skirts and now slippers. Pres
rnts are exchanged just A. among US AZ
Christ mas. and in the early morning tho
salutation Of peace IL given and family
f.ud- and guarre.s are healed. Glad in
their best the men assemble In th~ large
served for such occasions. and ,he usual
liturgy il rccilsd and a sermon preached
lust after midday. Then tho head Of each
family returns 10 hi. hom. and taking a
-ize OF h's family. he Stays It at hi- thre.h-
old enchanting. Allah tkbar, God ~ most
great The rcsh Ia divided among the
members Of the family and also given to tho
poor Such are the spiritual compen -at ions
in Islam that n - -aid that -, the day OF
judgment the horns and the hoofs and the
very hairs Of the sacrificed animal will no
thrown into the scale OF good actions and
make them heavy on the right side
Every Mo-lem observes this feast OF sacri-
flee. and with such an O-tsntatious parade
Of orthodoxy that u becomes worry dist as,a-
fIil 10 tho Hindu- Consequently th.. Hin
dus often re'sliate by killing a pig The I'M
clean animal Of the Mohnrnmedan. and
throwing u into IN" centre oI the mosque
This festival ~ always % source of anxiety
90 Government officials IN India and yet IL
demonstrates how very Improbable IN IL
that Their" can he any combination against
th" British Government. although in the
mutiny 81 1851 50 the Iiindua united with The
Mohamm edans in the attempt 20 overthrow
Christian rule. Anglo IsDraN
BRooELrS. December ~