In a significant gesture on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, the influential Darul Uloom school of Islamic theology at Deoband has asked Muslims to avoid sacrificing cows on the occasion of Baqr'id (Monday), especially in states where it is banned.
"Though cow slaughter is legitimate under Shariat (Islamic law), we advise Muslims to sacrifice sheep, goats and camels in states where cow slaughter is banned. The law of the land should not be violated and peace should be maintained in the states and the country," Mufti Habibur Rahman, head of the Darul's Fatwa bench, told PTI over phone from Deoband, about 50 km from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Observing that Hindus respected and worshipped cows, he said instead of cows, the community should sacrifice other four-legged animals, and thus help in establishing peace and goodwill.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, affiliated to the Deoband school, said killing of cows would hurt the sentiments of Hindu brethren. Muslims should voluntarily stop killing cows, Jamiat president Maulana Mehmood Madani said, noting that the Jamiat had passed a resolution more than a year ago in this regard.
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=6849&PHPSESSID=c787ffc28fd354b93d1650da509d8f20