Mangaluru: All religious statements made in the country regarding beef ban are purely political and have got nothing to do with Islam or sanathana dharma, said Mohammed Fiaz Khan, a lecturer turned kathavachak (narrator of religious lore), hailing from Raipur in Chattisgarh.

Khan, who was in Mangaluru on Saturday, November 29, on an invite by the Yuva Brigade to recite Gau katha (Gau Katha (parables on the cow), said that Quran has nowhere mandated the consumption of beef or any other meat. He said that some of the state governments did not want to ban beef purely to consolidate vote banks and that they never think on the lines of agriculture, health or harmony in society.

Quoting a reference from Tib-E-Nazvi Aur Zadid Science authored by scholar Khalid Ghaznavi, Khan said that the Prophet had described the milk of cow as shifa (health), its ghee as dava (medication) and its meat as bimari (disease). He further said that Muslims visiting Mecca have to sacrifice an animal as offering at Kaba, however, not even a single cow or its progeny has been sacrificed till date.

Speaking about Tipu Jayanti, the kathavachak said that the celebration was conducted only for political gains. He said that Tipu is accused of killing Hindus ad Christians and destroying places of their worship. However, he never dared to slaughter a cow.

Referring to history, he said that the first slaughter house in India was opened in 1760 by the British and Tipu’s father Hyder Ali had strongly opposed it.

Asserting that the country would not suffer trade deficit if beef is banned or export of cattle meat is shelved, he said Gujarat that has banned cattle meat and liquor but is still a prosperous state. Bihar which has banned sale of beef and has planned to ban liquor from April 1 next too will only develop for the better, he opined. Governments must empower people who lose jobs because of such bans with education and give them an alternative viable livelihood, he said.