Cleric asks Muslims to spend half of Eid budget on poor

Lucknow, May 3 (IANS) Sunni cleric Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali has appealed to Muslims to keep aside 50 per cent of the Eid budget for the poor."Keep aside half of the money you plan to spend on Eid for our poor sisters and brothers who cannot afford clothes and food. Celebrate Eid in a subdued manner and pray to the Almighty to help us get rid of the pandemic," he said in a video message released on Sunday.He said that the festival of Eid was a 'gift' for the month-long fast.The cleric also asked people to observe the rules of lockdown and adhere to all safety protocols.He asked Muslims to celebrate the festival with 'sewai', a traditional sweet prepared on Eid.With meat shops closed during lockdown, a large Muslim population is disappointed that Eid would be celebrated without the mandatory 'kebabs' and 'biryani' this year.
--IANS amita/prs