My dad, to this day, cannot sacrifice a goat on Eid

and there's an incredibly heartbreaking story behind it.

My grandfather was an extremely strict parent. My dad, as a kid, loved animals (and still does), and always had a lot of pets. Coming from a strict Muslim family, when dad was about 15 years old, they brought a goat. Two weeks prior to Eid.

My dad enjoyed his company. He'd take him around, feed him leaves, and take good care. The goat too had become very attached to my dad. So much so, he responded to his name when dad called out. Would stand when dad would say "Stand", and sit when dad said "Sit".

Then, Eid came around. One by one, the goats of all the families in the neighbourhood were brought to the common makeshift slaughterhouse set up in the locality. After the first goat was sacrificed, every consecutive goat would see the blood and start yelling frantically, and resist the people who'd drag them forcefully to their fate.

The goat my dad had petted had grown to be quite strong. Since it was to be sacrificed in the name of my dad, he had to be the one to slit his throat.

Dad didn't want it. But his family forced him.

Naturally, the goat reacted seeing all the blood.

They made my dad hold the knife in hand.

The butchers assisted in getting the goat inside, but it wouldn't stop kicking it's legs and stay still.

Then dad said, "Sit".

The goat looked into his eyes, trustfully, and calmed down.

"Allahuakbar", said my dad, and apprehensively went ahead with the knife, killing the animal that trusted him.

After that, dad didn't return home for the entire day. He didn't eat meat for a really long time. To this day, we've (thankfully) never got a sheep or a goat on Eid. When dad narrated this to me, I was in tears. It was hard even to just write that down.

I turned 19 this year, and my mom is expecting me to sacrifice a goat next year. Don't be like your father, she says.

Frick this sadistic festival. Frick this religion.