This year, Eid al-Adha[1] has once again coincided with very difficult times in Afghanistan. Many Afghans are facing economic hardship, poverty, and unemployment as the country’s economy struggles to regain lost ground. Afghanistan remains in the grip of a devastating drought for the third year running. Many families are mourning the loss of loved ones in the recent earthquake in the southeastern provinces of Khost and Paktika that caused significant human and financial losses. Afghan women continue to face an uncertain future with increasing restrictions on their freedoms, and older girls remain shut out from education.
Caption: Families at the Naqash livestock market on the Kabul-Logar road ahead of Eid al-Adha.
Photo: Sayed Asadullah Sadat/AAN, 8 July 2022.
We at Afghanistan Analysts Network sincerely hope this year’s Eid al-Adha will bring the bounties of prosperity and stability to Afghanistan.
AAN wishes all our readers, friends and all Afghans a very happy Eid al-Adha.
[1] Eid al-Adha marks the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Literally meaning the Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha honours the obedience of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to God’s command to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael). However, before he could do so, God is believed to have sent a lamb to sacrifice instead. For this reason, Muslims including in Afghanistan sacrifice animals such as sheep, goats and cows at Eid al-Adha.
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This article was last updated on 8 Jul 2022
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