Eid al-Adha — the Feast of Sacrifice — is the larger of the two major Islamic holidays, and for Kurdish Muslim families it is an occasion that combines religious obligation, family reunion, and communal generosity in a way that few other events in the year match. The holiday commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, and the central act of the celebration is the Qurban: the ritual slaughter of a sheep, goat, cow, or camel, with the meat divided among family, neighbors, and those in need.

In Kurdish communities, Eid al-Adha begins before dawn. Families dress in their best clothes and attend morning prayers. The Qurban takes place after the prayer, either at a designated slaughterhouse or, in some communities, in a private setting. The meat is divided into thirds: one portion for the family, one for relatives and neighbors, one for the poor. The giving is not optional — it is the point.

KASA’s Qurban program allows community members who cannot arrange the sacrifice themselves to contribute and have their share distributed to families in need. It is one of the programs we are most proud of, because it takes the generosity that is already built into the holiday and organizes it so that more people benefit.