Ahead of Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid, African country Morocco, which as a 99 per cent Muslim population, has banned animal slaughter this year. The Moroccan authorities began shutting down livestock markets to prevent the sale of sacrificial animals after King Mohammed VI announced his decision to cancel the traditional animal sacrifice this year due to the country’s ongoing drought and economic challenges. These challenges have caused a sharp decline in livestock numbers in the country.
The Moroccan media reports say that various provinces have ordered the closing of all weekly sheep markets, banning gatherings related to the sale or slaughter of sacrificial animals. The Moroccan security forces are also reportedly taking away goats from houses.
In addition, temporary closure of municipal slaughterhouses is also being implemented. In some areas, the ban is extended even to the sale of animal slaughter tools.
This first of its kind decision comes after King Mohammed VI had asked Moroccan citizens earlier this year to refrain from performing Islamic animal slaughter or sacrifice to alleviate the financial burden as well as to preserve the country’s depleting livestock.
The King of Morocco will perform the animal slaughter/sacrifice on Bakrid on behalf of all Moroccans.
Notably, Morocco is grappling with severe drought for the past six years. This has resulted in the decrease in the number of sheep by almost 38 percent. Besides, rainfall has decreased by over 50 percent from the regular average, leading to a significant shortage of fodder and water for cattle.
Meanwhile, some reports claim that the Moroccan king’s ban on animal slaughter on Bakrid has sparked outrage and protests in the country with people accusing the government of violating core Islamic tradition. It is also being claimed that the slaughter ban is simply a tactic to deflect attention from surging inflation and other failures of the government.
