Lucknow: A few days before Eid al-Adha (Bakrid), several Islamic organizations rallied behind the request by Maulana Arshad Madani, head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (Arshad Madani faction), to declare the cow the “national animal”.
Islamic organizations hope that this step will reduce political exploitation of the cow slaughter issue, as well as put an end to incidents of extrajudicial executions and other atrocities committed in its name.
While many are advocating initiatives to build consensus within society on the issue, some also intend to meet the Prime Minister and Prime Minister in this regard.
This initiative is particularly important because in the country’s most populous state, which also has a large Muslim population, such demands have historically emanated from Hindu organizations.
Originating from the Muslim community during the recent Eid al-Adha preceding the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, this sound carries a distinct significance of its own.
Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, national president of the All India Jamaat-e-Islami, wholeheartedly supported Madani’s demand to designate the cow as the ‘national animal’.
Speaking to PTI, he said his aim would be to reach consensus among various Muslim organizations on the issue. To this end, a meeting of key representatives from prominent Islamic organizations is scheduled to be held soon in Delhi, where a joint memorandum of demands will be drafted and subsequently submitted to the country’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He stressed that the government should meet this demand immediately, as doing so would not only standardize the government’s policies regarding cow slaughter across the country, but would also help eliminate incidents of lynching and other acts of oppression committed in the name of cow slaughter.
Siraj Qureshi, president of the All India Qureshi Community – a prominent organization of the Qureshi community involved in the meat trade – said the issue of cow sacrifice has once again become a hot topic in political circles ahead of Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid), and the ongoing events in West Bengal serve as the latest example of this trend.
He affirmed his public support for the demand that the cow be considered the national animal, and stressed that his organization would seek, if necessary, to hold a meeting with the Prime Minister in this regard.
Qureshi noted that his organization has long been calling for the cow to be declared a national animal. However, so far, no government has taken any concrete initiative in this direction.
Speaking on the matter, National Secretary General of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, Maulana Yaqoob Abbas, pointed out that while the demand to declare the cow as a national animal is valid, it is the responsibility of the government to act on it sincerely.
He stressed that the government’s intent with regard to cow should be clearly reflected in its policies, ensuring a consistent approach, rather than the situation where cows are consumed without restrictions in some states, while lives are lost in the name of cow in others.
Supporting the civic demand, Indian Union Muslim League National Vice President Kausar Hayat Khan said it was technically sound and the government should implement it with absolute sincerity.
When asked about Islamic organizations coming together on a common platform to forcefully raise this demand, Khan observed that this issue can gain full momentum only if all Islamic organizations come forward together.
Criticizing the government’s animal policies, Khan pointed out that beef was still consumed without restrictions in Goa, Assam and various northeastern states. He highlighted the irony that most of these states are ruled by the same BJP, which is adopting a divergent stance in states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and also now in West Bengal, by politicizing the issue of cow slaughter.
Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, senior executive member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said, “Our Hindu brothers have religious feelings towards the cow. Therefore, out of respect to their sentiments, the cow should be declared the national animal.”
Maulana Rashid called for uniformity in laws related to cow slaughter across the country and stressed that one unified law against cow slaughter must be implemented nationwide.
In response to a question about the possibility of Islamic organizations making a coordinated effort to declare the cow a national animal, he pointed out that all religious organizations should move forward in this direction.
Maulana Arshad Madani, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, reiterated his long-standing demand in a statement issued last Wednesday, just days before Eid Bakrid, the second largest Muslim festival.
He stressed the need to grant the cow the status of a national animal, and to impose strict provisions against those involved in buying and selling cows for slaughter, as well as those who trade in beef.
Pointing out that this request is not new, Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor of the organisation’s Uttar Pradesh unit, pointed out that Madani had made a similar request during the All Religions Conference held in Mumbai in 2014.
He added that in recent years, various Hindu organizations have also intensified their demand for the cow to be declared the national animal. However, the government does not appear to have made any tangible progress in this regard.
The issue of cow slaughter has received great importance, especially in North Indian politics, and governments have often adopted a tough stance on it.
In 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government closed all illegal slaughterhouses in an alleged attempt to strictly curb cow slaughter. However, licenses were later issued, subject to strict regulations, especially for the buffalo meat trade.
