A man and a woman have been killed by children who were playing with their fathers’ guns in Saudi Arabia during the Eid festivities. It is thought that the children were attempting to fire bullets into the air, a practice which causes multiple fatalities and injuries throughout Muslim communities during the festive season.

The accidental shooting occured in Unaizahn in the Al-Qasem province. Widad Akrawi of Defend International said: “The fact that children were involved in this unintentional killing is deeply unsettling and tragic. Guns are weapons of war, not toys, nor symbols of honour to be passed down from father to son. Defend International appeals to schools, local civil society organisations and religious figures to educate people on the serious danger caused by aerial firing.”

Meanwhile, police in Peshawar, Pakistan, have banned aerial firing during Eid. At least one person was killed by aerial firing during the Independence Day celebrations in August in Karachi. The Ministry for Information has disseminated images warning about the dangers in regional newspapers. Ms Akrawi applauded the move, adding: “It is important to remember that aerial firing is not a religious observance, and should therefore not be associated with Ramadan and Eid, or indeed any religious or festive occasion.”