Can we not learn the lesson?

Barrister Nazir Ahmed asks why there are sales at Christmas, but price hikes at Eids.

It is often said that we have more than 10,000 Indian restaurants and takeaways in the United Kingdom. The real figure, if the outlets were properly counted, would be much higher. The catering sector has been making a huge contribution (estimated to be more than £5 billion a year) to the British economy. Although these restaurants and takeaways are usually called “Indian” restaurants and takeaways, they are almost all owned by people of Bangladeshi origin. Furthermore, 98% or above of those restaurants and takeaways are owned by Muslims and 95% or above of those who work in the catering sector are Muslims. Yet the restaurants and takeaways are usually kept open over both Eids – Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha – the two most important celebrations of the Muslim community. Ironically, along with businesses run by other communities, most Bangladeshi and/or Muslim catering businesses are kept in complete shutdown on Christmas Day – and most of them are closed on Boxing Day as well. This is very sad and to be regretted. To some extent, this is tantamount to a double standard.

Keeping catering businesses open on Eid Days causes three main problems.

First, a huge number of Muslim takeaway and restaurant workers are deprived from fully observing and celebrating the two most important feast days of their religion each and every year. Eid Days are not fixed: observance and celebration are subject to the sighting of the moon. Friday and Saturday are usually the two busiest days of the week in catering businesses. Therefore, if Eids fall on those days of the week, workers cannot observe and celebrate the Eids at all. Even if the Eids fall on other days, given that the businesses are open as usual, the workers cannot observe and celebrate the Eids properly and comfortably. Though catering businesses are usually open from late afternoon to late at night, preparing the food and restaurant takes the workers most of the day.

Second, owners of catering outlets, by keeping their restaurants and takeaways open, deprive their own family members of being able to observe these important rituals of their own religion with them. The owners also deprive themselves from enjoying these beautiful religious observances.

Third, employers themselves are giving a wrong signal to non-Muslims communities, implying that they do not bother or care about celebration and observance of their own religion. If someone does not give proper importance to his own religious observance, how can he expect other people to do so?

Some people may argue that keeping catering businesses shut on Eid Days would affect their trade and, ultimately, their business. This is not correct at all. Rather, a few techniques (e.g., special discounts before and/or following the Eid Day, widely publicised celebrations, advertised Eid Parties, etc.) would enable them to obtain many advantages for their businesses on the eve or occasions of Eids. The Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA), the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers (FBC), the British Curry Award and other similar organisations could perhaps take lead to campaign and create awareness so that the catering businesses – which are predominantly owned by Muslims – are kept complete shut over the Eid Days themselves. This would pave the way for Muslims who are directly or indirectly involved with catering businesses to observe and celebrate their own important annual religious events fully and properly.

Eid and Christmas are the two most important celebratory events in the two largest religions of the world: Islam and Christianity. Each and every year these important events and days come and go. One thing always strikes me about them and I am sure most people would agree with me. That is: when Christmas comes, businesses in the United Kingdom (and I am sure in other parts of the world as well) give huge discounts on their goods and hold sales, particularly on clothes. The sale and discount given varies from business to business, but it often goes from 10% to 70%.

Very unfortunately, we see totally the opposite picture in the Muslim world. Muslim businesses do a sky-high price hike when the season of Eid comes around. Prices are increased – often doubled, but sometimes even tripled or more. Some unscrupulous business owners see the Eids as money making occasions and become desperate to capture the profits of the whole year in the Eid seasons. This is not only happening in the United Kingdom but also throughout the Muslims world, including Bangladesh. We have seen in Bangladesh how middle class, lower middle class and working class people struggle to meet the demands of the family and their basic needs during the Eid seasons.

Businesses are, of course, operated with the intention of making profits and there is absolutely nothing wrong in this. However, the profits made should be fair, practical, proportionate and reasonable. What most businesses do during the Eid seasons cannot be considered as their usual business practice and part of the normal profit making process. They appear to emerge as sharks targeting Muslims doing their Eid shopping. Non-Muslim business owners do business and make profits throughout the year and, of course, during the Christmas period. If they can show respect to Christmas, which has its roots in a religious festival, can we not show the same to our religious events? Can Muslim business owners take lesson from non-Christian business owners in this regard?

The pilgrimage (hajj) to Makkah, situated in Saudi Arabia, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is compulsory (fard) for those who have the financial ability to do so to perform hajj once in his or her lifetime. Like praying five times a day and fasting for one month in the solar year, hajj is obligatory for Muslims. It is highly rewarding. Muslims, regardless of their ability, do usually have lifelong dream of going to the hajj at least once in their lifetime. Pilgrims are the guests of the Almighty God. Some unscrupulous people appear to do dishonest and unhealthy business in relation to the hajj. Being in the foreign country and being in huge crowds of people (of some millions), the pilgrims become vulnerable and easy targets for some unscrupulous people. They often appear to cheat pilgrims, blatantly lie and knowingly make totally false promises. For example, they clearly know that somehow an overcrowded room will be available, yet they promise the pilgrims to give them five star hotel rooms!

Businesses are not only permissible (halal) but are highly encouraged in Islam. Honest businessmen and women will be hugely rewarded in the hereafter. By comparison, cheating, blatant lying, making false promises and blackmailing are totally prohibited (haram) in Islam. These types of businessmen and women will be heavily punished in the hereafter. Religious texts, the holy Quran and authentic hadiths clearly confirm this. Do the unscrupulous businessmen realise these? There are many sectors and areas where they can go to do business. Why do they target innocent pious pilgrims, who are the guests of the Almighty God? I feel shame and anger for those unscrupulous businessmen and women who make this important religious event a target for their dishonest business. There are, of course, many honest businessmen and women who do proper and honest business. Their prime objectives are to serve the pilgrims and thereby to obtain high rewards. Profits are their subsidiary objectives. I sincerely thank and admire them.

*Barrister Nazir Ahmed: Legal expert, analyst, writer and columnist. He can be contacted via e-mail: ahmedlaw2002@yaho.co.uk

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