Moroccan King Calls to Stop Sheep Slaughter for Eid al-Adha

morocco - King Mohammed VI urges Moroccan people to refrain from slaughtering sheep during Eid al-Adha due to environmental and economic challenges.

King's Call to Stop Sheep Slaughter for Eid al-Adha

For the first time since 1996, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has called on the Moroccan population to refrain from slaughtering sheep during Eid al-Adha, which takes place in early June. The king emphasized the environmental and economic challenges facing the country, resulting in a significant decrease in livestock. While highlighting the importance of Eid al-Adha on religious, familial, and social levels, he urged the population to abstain from the ritual sacrifice this year.

For the seventh consecutive year, Morocco has been experiencing persistent drought, with the past year being the worst since the early 1980s, leading to a 38 percent decrease in the livestock population. Sacrificing animals under these difficult circumstances is likely to be harmful to a large part of the population, especially those with limited income.

The decrease in livestock has caused prices to rise, with a kilo of red meat costing around 11 to 12 euros in Casablanca. For the poorest, this is a significant amount considering the minimum wage is around 290 euros per month.

Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is highly popular in Morocco and the Arab world, occurring approximately two months after Eid al-Fitr, the celebration at the end of the Ramadan fasting month.