Turkey's Eid-al Adha aid to reach 130 countries

By Gulcan Kaplan

IZMIR, Turkey

Thousands of animals sacrificed as part of the upcoming Eid al-Adha celebrations will be donated to needy families in 130 countries, according to a senior official of the Religious Affairs Directorate of Turkey.

The foundation, which is one of the country’s largest charities, is leading a campaign for the feast and distributes the meat of sacrificed animals to families around the world.

Deputy President Abdurrahman Cetin said 225,000 animals would be sacrificed during the Eid.

"125,000 of the 225,000 sacrificial animals will be slaughtered abroad and distributed to needy people in 130 countries," Cetin said.

He said the remaining 100,000 animals would be sacrificed at home and would be distributed to thousands of people across Turkey, especially in the regions where Syrian refugees live.

According to the foundation, those who want to take part in the campaign would pay 500 Turkish liras (approximately $169) abroad, while it would cost 690 Turkish liras (around $230) to take part in the domestic campaign.

Beginning on Sept. 12, Muslims will celebrate the four-day Eid al-Adha, also known as the ‘Feast of the Sacrifice,’ which celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God.

It is the second of the two main religious holidays celebrated by Muslims and marks the last day of the Hajj for the faithful in Saudi Arabia, where millions of pilgrims pour into Makkah and Medina.