Guwahati, May 26: Trinamool Congress leader Sherman Ali Ahmed on May 26 refrained from giving a direct response to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s appeal urging people to avoid cow sacrifice during Bakrid, but stressed that Islam strongly advocates humanity, peaceful coexistence and responsibilities towards neighbours.
The remarks came after the chief minister earlier appealed to the public to refrain from cow sacrifice during Eid al-Adha, stating that certain Bengali Muslim organisations in Assam had already decided not to sacrifice cows as a gesture of respect towards Hindu sentiments.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assam Legislative Assembly, Ali avoided taking a definitive position on the issue and said he would elaborate on the matter during his address in the Assembly on May 27.
“Listen to my speech tomorrow in the Assembly. Everything I will speak out there. Before that, I do not want to divulge anything,” he said.
While not directly supporting or criticising the chief minister’s appeal, Ali highlighted what he described as the broader values of Islam, saying the faith extended beyond religious practices and rituals.
He said Islam was not limited to “namaz, roza and kalima”, but also emphasised humanity, peace, brotherhood and social responsibility.
Referring to the importance of neighbourly obligations in Islamic teachings, Ali said the religion places significant importance on caring for those around an individual.
“Islam has laid enough emphasis on the duties of a Muslim towards his neighbours,” he said, adding that religious practices lose meaning if people ignore the suffering of others around them.
Citing an example, he said that if a person enjoyed lavish meals while a neighbour remained hungry, prayers would not be accepted. He said this was the message he wanted to convey to the Muslim community.
Ali also spoke on the issue of rising prices and claimed that repeated electoral victories of the ruling dispensation reflected public acceptance of the situation.
“People have given a huge mandate to the existing dispensation. So I do not think I have to speak about this price rise because people have already accepted the price rise which has been going on in Assam for the last 10 years,” he said.
