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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
This Muslim country has banned animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha — know the ‘royal' reason
For the first time in years, Morocco will observe Eid al-Adha — the 'Festival of Sacrifice' — without its central ritual: the slaughter of sheep. Muslims in the North African nation, Morocco, will abstain from the animal sacrifice ritual due to a royal directive from King Mohammed VI, who urged citizens to abstain from the practice due to the country's deepening economic difficulties and a prolonged agricultural crisis, according to a report by The Guardian. In a statement broadcast in February by Morocco's Islamic affairs minister on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel, the king said, 'Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income.' The monarch, who is also the kingdom's highest religious authority, added that he would perform the sacrifice on behalf of all Moroccans. The North African nation has been suffering the consequences of a six-year drought, which has severely impacted the country's livestock population. Reports suggest that sheep herds have declined by nearly 38 percent since 2016. With supply shrinking, prices have skyrocketed. Last year, a single sheep sold for as much as $600 (approximately ₹51,426), far exceeding Morocco's monthly minimum wage of $324 (₹27,833). As a result, many families can no longer afford to participate in the tradition. A survey by the Moroccan Centre for Citizenship found that 55 percent of households struggled to bear the cost of sacrificial animals. In response to the crisis, the Moroccan government suspended import duties and value-added tax on cattle and sheep in its 2025 budget to help control prices. Although the king's directive marks a rare intervention, it is not unprecedented. His father, King Hassan II, suspended Eid sacrifices on three occasions during his reign — in times of war, drought, and under IMF-imposed austerity that removed food subsidies. Morocco, where more than 99 percent of the population identifies as Muslim, has one of the highest red meat consumption rates in Africa.
Mint
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
This Muslim country in Africa has banned animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha. Here's why
Muslims in Morocco will celebrate Eid al-Adha without the ritual of animal sacrifice this year. Eid al-Adha, one of the two sacred days for Muslims worldwide, is also known as 'sacrifice' Eid as animal sacrifice is one of the most important ritual in this festival. But Muslims in north African nation, Morocco will abstain from the animal sacrifice ritual due to a royal directive amid the deepening economic hardship and an agricultural crisis. In February, King Mohammed VI has urged his fellow Moroccans not to slaughter sheep for Eid al-Adha as the country grapples with dwindling herds due to a six-year drought, according to a report in the Guardian. On 26 February, the Morocco's minister of Islamic affairs, Ahmed Toufiq read a letter on the monarch's behalf on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel. The letter cited economic hardship and the climate crisis as reasons for the rising prices of livestock and sheep shortage in the north African country. 'Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income,' the king, who is also Morocco's highest religious authority, wrote in the letter, as per the Guardian report. To uphold the religious significance of sacrifice, Mohammed VI announced that he would perform the sacrifice on behalf of all Moroccans on Eid al-Adha. Morocco is a Muslim majority country with Islam as the most widely practiced religion , with over 99 per cent of the population identifying as Muslims. The Moroccan constitution recognise Islam as the state religion Muslims in Morocco will mark Eid a-Adha on Saturday, 7 June. This is a day later than in many other countries including Saudi Arabia where it was celebrated on Friday, 6 June. Muslims in India will also celebrate Eid al-Adha on Saturday, 7 June. Ahead of Eid on 7 June, Moroccan authorities have launched a nationwide campaign to close down livestock markets, preventing the sale of sacrificial animals, media reports said. Eid al-Adha, is an annual 'feast of sacrifice' in which Muslims slaughter livestock to honour the incident mentioned in Quran about prophet Ibrahim willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. While Ibrahim was about to follow the divine order (in his dream), God intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. In many parts of north Africa, including Morocco, an enduring drought has intensified inflation in recent years. After seven years of dry weather, Morocco's sheep herds have reduced by 38 percent, which has drastically increased the price of sheep. Last year, prices reached around $600 ( ₹ 51,426). The price of the preferred domestic sheep can often exceed monthly household earnings in Morocco, where the monthly minimum wage is $324 ( ₹ 27,833). Prices have become so exorbitant that 55 per cent of families surveyed by the Moroccan Center for Citizenship, a non-profit, last year said they struggled to cover the costs of buying sheep. Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income. Morocco has one of the highest red meat consumption rates in Africa and has lost a third of its national cattle and sheep population since 2016. In its 2025 budget, Morocco suspended import duties and a value-added tax on cattle and sheep to help stabilise domestic prices. (With inputs from the Guardian and other agencies)
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
King asks Moroccans not to kill sheep for Eid al-Adha as drought reduces herds
King Mohammed VI has urged his fellow Moroccans not to slaughter sheep for upcoming Eid al-Adha festivities as the country grapples with dwindling herds due to a six-year drought. The request was delivered on Wednesday by the minister of Islamic affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, who read a letter on the monarch's behalf on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel. He cited economic hardship and the climate crisis as reasons for the rising prices of livestock and sheep shortage in the north African state. 'Performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income,' the king, who is also Morocco's highest religious authority, wrote in the letter. Eid al-Adha, which this year takes place in early June, is an annual 'feast of sacrifice' in which Muslims slaughter livestock to honour a passage of the Qur'an in which the prophet Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, who intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. It is a major holiday for millions of Muslims around the world, with traditions so embedded that families have been known to take out loans to buy sheep. Their purchasing power has reduced especially in many parts of north Africa, where an enduring drought has intensified inflation in recent years. The price of preferred domestic sheep can often exceed monthly household earnings in Morocco, where the monthly minimum wage is 3,000 dirhams (£240). Prices have become so exorbitant that 55% of families surveyed by the Moroccan Center for Citizenship, an NGO, last year said they struggled to cover the costs of buying sheep and the utensils needed to prepare them. The country has one of the highest red meat consumption rates in Africa and has lost a third of its national cattle and sheep population since 2016. In its 2025 budget, Morocco suspended import duties and a value-added tax on cattle and sheep to help stabilise domestic prices. On 20 February the government announced a deal to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia. It has previously imported cattle from Brazil and Uruguay. The king's request is the first time in 29 years that Morocco has asked citizens to forgo holiday feasting. King Hassan II, Mohammed VI's predecessor and father, issued similar decrees three times throughout his reign, during wartime, drought and when the International Monetary Fund mandated an end to food subsidies in the country. Activist groups including trade unions have protested against the costs of basic food items and decried the government's efforts to curb rising prices as insufficient.
