400 Cattle Slaughtered In Zamboanga To Feed Poor

Turkish educators Anil Kuzu and Erdal Er slice meat Jan. 11, 2005 for distribution to poor people in Zamboanga City as part of the annual celebration of the Eid'l Adha. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 11 Jan) A Turkish foundation here slaughtered at least 400 heads of cattle and distributed its meat to some 60,000 mostly poor villagers as part of the Islamic celebration of the Eid'l Adha.

The Integrative Center for Alternative Development Foundation said it spent more than P5 million to pay for the cattle. The foundation, which also runs the Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School in Zamboanga City, on Wednesday also sent at least 10 tons of meat for indigents families in central Philippines.

"This has been our yearly humanitarian project in the Philippines and we are devoted to helping poor Filipino families. And we are really happy that many families have benefited from this benevolent project, and we hope to help more poor families in the future," said Cihangir Arslan, the school's deputy director.

He said the money used to purchase the animals came from donations to help feed at least 10,000 families.

The non-sectarian school was established in Zamboanga City in 1997 and since then has been actively involved in humanitarian activities.

"We are really lucky because that Turkish school is giving us meat and this has been going on for years."

"We got more this year, my husband and my brother got their own shares. We have six kilos of meat. Next year, we will come here to the school again and ask for meat. We will have a good supper tonight for sure," said 40-year old villager Hakim Sulayudi.

Arslan said they usually give two kilos of beef for each poor family.

The Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School hit the headlines last year after one of its high school students, the 16-year-old Bandhar Sunga, brought honor to the Philippines for winning the 1st International Young Mathematics Competition held at Lucklow, India.

President Gloria Arroyo, in her Eid'l Adha message, reminded Filipino Muslims to keep alive in their hearts and minds the sacrifice that Prophet Ibraham (Abraham) Alaihis Salam endured in obedience to the Creator.

"The message of sacrifice for the greater good is obedience, especially in light of our urgent task to bring about urgent changes to revitalize the country. I therefore call upon all Filipinos, of all religions to take heed of this message."

"I enjoin everyone to unite for the sake of national progress. With dedication and moral courage, we shall realize a new Philippines of unsurpassed prosperity for all, she said.

The Eid'l Adha is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar. It concludes the pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorates Ibraham's willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son.

Muslims believe the son to be Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs.

According to the Koran, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead. The feast of Eid'l Adha re-enacts Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram. Zamboanga