Srinagar, May 20 -- By Mohammad Ilyas Bhat

I still picture him clearly in our Srinagar neighbourhood.

Every year before Eid, this man raised a pure Australian breed lamb with immense care. He fed it barfi, corn and special mixes. He applied henna to make the animal shine. He recorded proud videos of the creature he would sacrifice on the day itself.

The display felt complete, almost theatrical.

One day a friend put a direct question to him: "You perform Qurbani every year, so why do you skip the prayers that form a basic duty?"

The man answered with striking pride: "If my cap ever falls into the mosque courtyard, I pull it back with a stick, yet I never step inside myself."

His response stays with me because it captures something wi...