Call to Celebrate Eid al-Adha Without Sacrifice to Preserve National Livestock
Ali Shtour, president of the Moroccan Association for Consumer Rights, urged citizens to respond positively to the royal guidance in which King Mohammed VI called on the Moroccan people not to sacrifice animals during this year’s Eid al-Adha, in order to safeguard the national livestock amidst the challenging circumstances facing the country.
Shtour confirmed in a statement to Express TV that this royal call stems from a strategic awareness of the impact of successive droughts that have negatively affected the productivity of the livestock sector, especially with the rising costs of feed and declining productivity of the national herd, making the sacrifice of animals a direct threat to market balance and price stability in the near future.
The spokesperson explained that sacrificing an animal is a confirmed Sunnah in Islamic law, not an obligation, allowing for flexibility in its practice during exceptional circumstances such as drought. He called for celebrating Eid al-Adha with a spirit of religious and social solidarity that enhances values of solidarity and kinship, without being rigidly tied to the sacrifice of animals, while emphasizing the symbolic aspect of the celebration in an atmosphere of cooperation and collective joy.
Shtour called for launching extensive media campaigns via television and digital platforms to raise citizens’ awareness about the importance of this initiative, proposing alternative initiatives such as "Eid Without Sacrifice," which contribute to establishing a responsible environmental and economic awareness and offer healthy food alternatives that respect consumer capabilities and align with the current challenges facing the country.
He expressed regret over what he described as a "huge rush" to purchase and stock meat, a trend he noted on social media platforms, warning that such behavior could lead to price instability and further depletion of the livestock wealth, negatively impacting the local market and national food security.
Shtour concluded his statement by calling on all citizens to embody a spirit of citizenship and collective awareness, prioritizing the higher interest of the country over consumer habits, affirming that preserving livestock wealth is a shared responsibility that reflects an awareness of Morocco’s future and the sustainability of its resources for the benefit of future generations.
