As Eid al-Adha nears, parliament divided on the place of animal sacrifice

CAIRO – 11 August 2018: Cairo governorate has warned of the slaughter of Eid al-Adha sacrifices in the streets of the capital, in order to preserve the cleanliness of the streets and the aesthetic appearance and those who violate the law will pay a fine of LE 5,000.

The members of the local administrative committee in the House of Representatives were divided over the decision of the governor of Cairo to ban the slaughter of sacrifices in the streets and in front of the shops, with the need to commit a fine of LE 5,000 to the violators, while some saw the decision as correct, others felt it was impossible to implement.

For his part, Parliamentarian Mohamed al-Damti said that the decision is not applicable in view of the difficulty of censorship; adding that the decision requires awareness campaigns in the media as it is included under the category of community behavior.

“It is a positive decision, no doubt. It also protects the health of citizens from diseases and epidemics caused by the mixing of blood and bones with garbage,"Parliamentarian Mamdouh al-Husseni said.

Husseni also said that most of the sacrifices that are slaughtered in the streets are not subject to medical supervision; no one knows whether the sacrifice is healthy or diseased. He pointed out that “Salkhana” (the place allocated by the government for slaughter) is subject to strict medical supervision.

He stressed the need to start awareness campaigns to improve the culture of the sacrificial ceremony, pointing out that this phenomenon should be prevented in all the governorates not only Cairo. He added that most Gulf countries prevented citizens from slaughtering animals in the streets.

On the other hand, Parliamentarian Mohamed Salah Abu Humalia said that this decision is difficult to implement, noting that if officials control main streets, they will not able to reach the lanes.