Shameful Practise of animal sacrifice should be BANNED

[Anthea]

Thousands of animals sacrificed for Eid al-Adha

Tuesday is the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in which people sacrifice animals to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s test of faith when God asked him to sacrifice his only son. As Abraham was about to do so, God stopped him and gave him a lamb instead

The head of Erbil’s slaughterhouse, Halmat Hamza, said more than 420 animals were killed in just two hours on Tuesday morning and another more than 600 animals are ready

“Compared to previous years, no year has been like this one, despite the high prices,” said Hamza. Prices are higher because of several factors including devaluation of the dinar and animal feed is more costly due to drought conditions.

Hamza attributes the higher numbers of sacrifices to the fact there is no coronavirus lockdown during the holiday, as well as people not making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year just 60,000 fully vaccinated people who are residents of Saudi Arabia are allowed to take part in the pilgrimage, far fewer than the normal crowds of up to 2.5 million.

In the Kurdistan Region, people traditionally slaughter animals in their own houses, often hiring a butcher and making donations of meat to the poor. However, the government banned the practice this year, saying all slaughtering must be done in the slaughterhouses.

Eid al-Adha began on Tuesday, the 20th of July, and lasts four days. Every year, leading up to the holiday, more than 2,000 animals are sacrificed daily across the Kurdistan Region, Firas Siddiq, director of animal resources in the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kurdistan Regional Government told Rudaw English on Tuesday.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/190720212

[Anthea]

Eid animal slaughtering banned on streets

The customary slaughtering of animals during Eid al-Adha will only be allowed at slaughterhouses and is prohibited in houses and on streets, Erbil’s mayor told Rudaw

“Animals should only be slaughtered at the slaughterhouses, during all four days of Eid the slaughterhouses will be open from 7am to 6pm,” Nabaz Abdulhamid told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on Sunday. “Veterinary teams will be present at the slaughterhouses and will perform two tests on the animal, before slaughter and for the meat after slaughter.”

The tests will be performed for a nominal amount of money that is 3,000 dinars for smaller animals and 10,000 dinars for bigger animals, Abdulhamid said.

During Eid al-Adha Muslims sacrifice livestock to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s test of faith, when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, however when he was about to do so, God sent him a lamb instead.

It is customary for the meat from the animal to be distributed among family, friends, and the poor.

People in the Kurdistan Region traditionally slaughter animals in their own houses, often hiring a butcher. However, the government seems adamant to stop the practice this year.

“We will in no way allow for animals to be slaughtered in the streets, for it will hurt the environment, and will hurt people with the smell and the flies and insects that gather around the animal’s remains,” Abdulhamid said, noting that they will have teams patrolling the city to watch out for the forbidden practice and tighten security.

Abdulhamid also said that hotels and restaurants will stay open during Eid because many tourists from other parts of Iraq will be visiting the city.

Eid al-Adha begin on Tuesday the 20th of July this year.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/180720211