ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School (FTTS) identified the soldiers, who were wounded while fighting against the Maute group, as among the beneficiaries in the celebration of Eid’l Adha on Friday, September 1.
FTTS director Maruf Celebi on Friday said they will slaughter 80 to 90 heads of cattle as form of sacrifice and will be distributing its beef meat to 3,600 less privileged families, including the wounded soldiers.
The wounded soldiers were included as beneficiaries since they have sacrificed in fighting against the Maute group to attain peace.
Celebi said the beneficiaries will include indigent families in Barangay Arena Blanco and families displaced by the 2013 Zamboanga siege in Barangay Taluksangay.
Celebi said the beef will be distributed starting Friday,
September 1, until Saturday, September 2, in partnership with some government agencies, non-government organizations and civil society organizations.
He said they are celebrating this year’s Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice with the support of the Australian Relief Organization (ARO).
“This year, we have friends from Australia. They came here to help us,” he added.
Murat Coskun, ARO director, said his organization donated to many countries including the Philippines “and in Zamboanga, we donated 90 cows.”
The ARO, which was established in August 2012, is a voluntary, non-profit and non-government organization (NGO) that is involved in development, relief and advocacy activities for a better world.
It is a large Australian NGO and delivers humanitarian initiatives on a non-discriminatory and non-denominational basis in 22 countries.
“On Eid’l Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice, millions of Muslims around the world including the Philippines Commemorate Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to God who, moved by his devotion, provides a ram to Abraham to be sacrificed instead. The account of Abraham’s devotion can be found in both the Holy Quran in the Muslim faith, and in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible in the Christian faith,” Celebi said.
“Devout Muslims mark Eid’l Adha by performing acts of charity and kindness for those in need and the less privileged,” he added.
In the Philippines, the Integrated Center for Alternative Development (ICAD), Filipino-Turkish NGO, since 1997 have marked the Feast of Sacrifice by providing food and other essentials to indigent families.
From distributing the beef of 20 cattle in 1997, both NGOs have now shared beef with some tens of thousands families in different parts of the country like Baguio City, Zamboanga City, Cebu, Davao, and Metro Manila. (TPGJR/PNA)
