Selamat Hari Raya again

We just got back from Papa Jamal's house where we spent the night. Today is Muslim's Hari Raya Haji, the day when they make sacrifices and prayers. This is also the day when thousands of Muslims around the world would go to Mecca and pray.

Talking about sacrifices, I want to tell you one story that happened last night. We were on the way to a Chinese restaurant with JP, but we were wondering why there were lots of firemen there and the gates were closed. Apparently, there was a COW, yes a cow running wildly in the carpark infront of the restaurant. These firemen were trying to catch the cow, until they pinned it down and tied its feet.

At first, the sight was exciting for me because I haven't seen a situation like that. But when I knew the story behind it, I felt so sorry for the cow. It turned out that it was a sacrificial cow for the Hari Raya Haji. It escaped from a mosque along the highway and ended up being captured again.

I was told that sacrificial cows actually know that they will be slaughtered on this very day. Before they are slaughtered, the one who donated them to the mosque MUST have a talk to the cow to explain that he will be slaughtered and sacrificed, and that he will be fed to the perished and the poor. And believe it or not, the cow would really cry, with streaming tears, as if it understood that it doesn't have any choice but be slaughtered.

That must be the reason why the cow tried to escape from the mosque. It ended up being captured and tied and jacked into the truck. I was able to take a bit of video but there was only a little source of light so it wasn't really clear. We then proceeded to eat in Purple Cane, a Chinese restaurant which uses tea to cook dishes, even rice.

It wasn't really a pretty sight seeing the cow being captured like that. But then again, that is their role in this world. So the next time I eat beef, I will always remember how it cried before it was slaughtered - if cows not only cry during the eve of Hari Raya Haji.

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