DAY 3 - EID
SYNOPSIS: A bloody festival, the Faisal mosque, a gem dealer, and a look down on Islamabad.
Traffic was dense on this early morning in Islamabad, even though we had gotten up early to avoid it. Shabir picked us up at the hotel and took us to the main Shia mosque where Eid would be celebrated today and for the next three days.Eid, or “solemn festival” is one of two holidays celebrated in the Islamic calendar by this name and observed world-wide. Eid ul-Fitr, the lesser of the Eid festivals follows the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Eid al Adha or the greater Eid, is a festival of sacrifice. As far as I could tell it is the most popular holiday for Pakistanis all year. Everyone has three days off and the entire country is in a state of frenzied festivities and if I may say so, bloody gore. If you have never experienced Eid this closely, it may challenge some of your Western sensibilities. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan or a faint of heart, you may not want to read on.We were inching through traffic this morning observing numerous colorfully decorated animals bound to trees in people’s front yards, transported in small trucks, or led through town by their owners. They were heading to be sacrificed… Their meat would be divided into three parts: One to keep, one to donate, one to give to your relatives. And since everyone was following that formula, for Pakistanis, the next three days consisted of numerous visits to the extended family for the purpose of “giving meat and getting meat”. Saeed had a funny way of bowing with outstretched arms and theatrically exclaiming this phrase whenever we would ask him what we would do next: We will go and visit so-and-so and then “we will give meat and we will get meat”! But we knew none of this yet as we were heading to the mosque on this cool winter morning.We were carefully searched for weapons and explosives before entering the mosque and I was not allowed to take in my back pack even though it contained nothing of interest! Why this level of security? Sectarian fear! Shias are in the clear minority in Pakistan. Afghanistan has given Shias a taste of what to expect if and/or when the Taliban, an Islamist Sunni organization, comes to power. They are taking no chances.Few were in the prayer area reserved for women and before long, Nicola and I were the only women left in the entire mosque. We were treated like special guests; lectured on Islam, lead through the facilities, shown the prayer room, the special shrine area, and the communal areas. We were offered tea and sweets and invited to “hang out”. All could have been fine if one could have ignored what was going on outside in the courtyard. Nicola stayed away as much as possible, but I was too curious to let it go.In the courtyard, men and children (boys only) were gathering and slaughtering the animals which had been brought in for sacrifice. Every few minutes, another cow, sheep, or goat went… I had to conjure up all my stoic might of “Don’t get upset if you can’t change anything!” to go out andwitness the scene. Even harder than to look, was to photograph. But I did.Several young boys – hardly older than 12 – were busy gutting the animals that had been killed. One man led a group of young boys and instructed them how to kill the animal just right, slicing the throat without hesitation and draining the blood. And a majority of men were busy cutting the meat, weighing, dividing and bagging it into the three prescribed portions. And all the while at the far end of the court the remaining cows, goats and sheep were grazing, looking somewhat silly with their colorful plastic bows, their ribbons, and their stripes of paint which marked them as next in line. Did they have any inkling of what awaited them? The air was rife with the stench of blood and decay. It was hard to smile for the group picture with the imam and to have cookies and tea… But I did.It was a relief to get out of the mosque. We headed for one of Saeed’s family gatherings to “give and get meat” passing numerous “drive way slaughter” scenes on the way. People had gathered outside the mosque in parks, streets, front yards, and plazas to slaughter animals. Shabir mentioned that in previous years he had to participate but that it appalled him.The country had come to a standstill as far as tourist activities were concerned, but a few things were still possible. In the afternoon Shabir took us to the famous Faisal mosque. It has an interesting history and is by far the largest mosque in Islamabad. A big sign warned of taking pictures in the mosque area. I was almost willing to observe it but after watching just about every other visitor taking pictures, I sneaked a few myself.The highlight of the day for Nicola was a visit to a gem trader. Pakistan is known for its rare and fine gems from the mountains and Nicola is an expert collector. She was in heaven! I can only look at gems for so long and asked if I could walk around. No, no, no! We were in a rural area and this was the first time I was faced with some of the limitations for women in this country. I could not go out unaccompanied. An eight year old boy of the household was summoned to be my “guardian” as I strolled through the neighborhood. There was not much to be seen except more and more slaughter scenes. But there was a courtyard of an artisan who restored antique architectural elements such as doors and windows. What a place!In the evening Shabir took us on another trip, a hill near Islamabad. It is a favorite excursion spot for the locals to get away from the city. Entertainers, performers, and refreshment stands were everywhere. Entire families in their finest clothes were strolling around. The atmosphere was festive and relaxed. And for the first time all day, we were far from the smells and sounds of slaughter. At the overlook a fantastic panorama of Islamabad sprawls before us. It was more than enough to round up our third day in this strange and foreign land.Good night.