In pics: Unrelenting efforts to end the ugly scene spoiling Eid

CAIRO – 31 August 2017: Following the annual pilgrimage season, Muslims around the world start celebrating the five-days of the Feast of Sacrifice known as Eid al-Adha, in which they will be required to slaughter animals such as sheep, cows, or goats and then distribute the meat on families, friends and the poor.

Regularly, few days ahead of the feast of sacrifice, discussions start among parliamentarians and public figures over banning slaughter of cattle in streets, and allowing it only in an official butcher shop, to avoid polluting the environment.

During the days of Eid al-Adha, mainly on the first day, families slaughter animals in front of their building, shops or any of their properties especially in rural areas, filling the streets with blood polluting residential areas and blocking sewers, which as a result damage the drainage system.

People have repeatedly complained about street slaughtering, as blood accumulates causing unpleasant smells, considering the scene as a mess that spoils their joy and celebrations during the feast.

“I prefer to travel in Eid vacation, as I can never deal with blood filling the country streets; even the smell sucks,” Mohamed Hussien, sales officer at one of Egypt’s Banks, said.



Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide issued fatwa (religious edict) on Monday stipulating that “Slaughter of the sacrifices in the streets and leaving their remnants is a great sin and a serious crime as it causes harm to people”.

This came to warn people not to slaughter animals outside butcher shops, and to ban mass slaughtering of animals in streets and residential areas. The religious authority referred to a verse of the holy Quran and the sayings of Companions of the Prophet to prove that such harmful actions are prohibited by Islam.

Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation called on people to slaughter the animals in butcher shops near to their houses instead of streets, and further discussed offering free Slaughtering service for citizens through enforcing a law for regulating slaughter.



Parliamentarians have disagreed on the new fatwa of Dar al-Ifta and on drafting the law, as some believed that slaughtering in the streets is harming people, while others believed that it is not a big issue as it is part of the feast celebrations.

Parliamentarian Hassan Mousa, deputy of parliament’s committee of Agriculture and Irrigation, agreed with the ministry's decision, which stressed on the necessity of slaughtering in butcher shops, saying that he has repeatedly called on the Dar al-Ifta to put an end for this issue.

“Slaughtering animals and leaving their residues in the streets, is harmful to a lot of people, which makes us demand that all citizens abide by the law and stop such practices,” he added.

Meanwhile, Montaser Rayed, a member of the parliament’s committee of local administration, the government will not be able to enforce the law of slaughtering as required because of the weakness of control and the inability to oblige citizens.

Rayed also said that it is difficult to completely implement this decision, but it can be applied in certain areas where sewage systems are weak, adding that fines cannot be imposed on citizens if they slaughter in the streets, as it is still considered a social tradition in Egypt.