Sale at Christmas but price hike at Eids

It is 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) towards 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 per cent or above of those restaurants and takeaways are owned by the Muslims and 95 per cent or above of those who work in the catering sector are Muslims.  Yet the restaurants and takeaways are usually kept open on both Eids - Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha - the two most important celebrations of the Muslim community.  Ironically, along with businesses of other communities all catering businesses are kept in complete shut down on Christmas Day - and most of them are kept shut on Boxing Day as well.  This is tantamount to a double standard.  
 Keeping the catering businesses open on Eid Days causes three main problems: Firstly, a huge number of Muslim takeaway and restaurant workers are deprived from fully observing and celebrating the two most important functions of their religion each and every year.  Eid Days are not fixed; observance and celebrations are subject to the sighting of the moon.  Friday and Saturday are usually the two busiest days of the week in the catering sector 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, the workers cannot observe and celebrate the Eids properly and comfortably.  Though the usual opening times for catering businesses are from the late afternoon to late at night, the workers are, in fact, required to prepare themselves and the curry items through most of the day.  Secondly, owners of the catering outlets, by keeping their restaurants and takeaways open, deprive their own family members from observing these important celebrations of their own religion with them.  The owners also deprive themselves of the opportunity to observe these religious functions.  Thirdly, the employers themselves are giving a wrong signal to the non-Muslim communities implying that they do not bother or care about celebration and observance of their own religious festivals.  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 the catering businesses shut on Eid Days would affect their trade and business.  This is not correct at all.  Rather, a few techniques (i.e. special discount before or/and following the Eid Day, widely publicised celebration, advertised Eid Party 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 completely shut during the Eid Days.  This would pay the way for Muslims, directly or indirectly, involved with catering businesses to observe and celebrate their own important annual religious events fully and properly.
One thing always strikes me about Eid and Christmas, and I am sure most people would agree with me. 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 and garments. The sale and discount given varies from business to business, but it often goes from 10 per cent to 70 per cent. We see the totally opposite picture in the Muslim world.  Muslim businesses hike prices sky-high when the season of Eid comes around.  Prices are increased - often doubled, but even tripled or more.  Some unscrupulous business owners see the Eids as money making occasions and become desperate to make the profits of the whole year in the Eid seasons.  This does not happen only in the United Kingdom but also throughout the Muslims world, including Bangladesh.  
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 the most businesses do during the Eid seasons cannot be considered as usual business practice and part of the normal profit-making process.  They appear to emerge as sharks targeting Muslims doing their Eid shopping.  Do the Christian business owners not do business and make profits throughout the year and, of course, during the Christmas period?  If they can show their utmost respect, care and appreciation to their religious occasion, cannot the Muslim business owners show the same to our religious events?  Can the Muslim business owners take lesson from the Christian business owners in this regard?
Barrister Nazir Ahmed is
a  legal expert, analyst,
writer and columnist.
 [email protected]