In one or two days, we will coordinate with Islamic organizations to inform the public about the status of the Qurbani ritual and how to perform the Qurbani amidst the ongoing FMD outbreak in Indonesia.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak must be taken into account before performing the animal sacrifice ritual of Qurbani during Eid al-Adha in July 2022, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has said.



As Qurbani is voluntary (sunnah muakkadah) and is not obligatory, deferring animal slaughter for Eid if the conditions are not favorable will not be sinful for Muslims, he added.



"I need to emphasize that Qurbani is sunnah muakkadah (a voluntary deed), a commendable sunnah but it is not obligatory. It means that, if in some conditions, the Qurbani cannot be performed, Muslims must not force themselves, and they can seek other possible alternatives," Qoumas said after attending a meeting at Bogor Palace, West Java, on Thursday.


Related news: Government to restrict livestock movement to thwart FMD transmission


The ministry will issue new regulations on animal slaughter for Qurbani amid the FMD outbreak in Indonesia as the demand for livestock, particularly cows and goats, is increasing ahead of Eid al-Adha, he informed.



The ministry will work with religious organizations to raise awareness among the Muslim population about the voluntary nature of the Islamic animal slaughter ritual, the minister said.



"In one or two days, we will coordinate with Islamic organizations to inform the public about the status of the Qurbani ritual and how to perform the Qurbani amidst the ongoing FMD outbreak in Indonesia," he said.



He affirmed that his ministry will also follow regulations issued by the new FMD outbreak task force set up by President Joko Widodo and presided over by National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto.


Related news: VP Amin urges slaughterhouses to monitor livestock to prevent FMD


Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said that the government will restrict livestock movement in 1,765 sub-districts considered as "red zones" for the FMD outbreak.



He informed that the 1,765 sub-districts account for 38 percent of the 4,614 sub-districts nationwide.



The government will also procure 28–29 million doses of the FMD vaccine this year using funds from the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN) budget, he added.

Related news: FMD: Breeders to get Rp10 mln compensation for each cow slaughtered

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Translator: Indra Arief P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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