“Should we cancel Eid al-Adha celebrations at the end of June in Morocco?” The question comes from the Pan-Arab news site. middle eastern eye (IEE). A country beset by exceptional drought and breakneck prices is wondering if it can afford the luxury of following this Muslim tradition.

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Because this year the sheep sacrifice is likely to be expensive, very expensive even. The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the increase in animal prices will range from 15% to 25% compared to last year. “With an inflation of 10%, the Moroccan economy has been in a crisis for several months, which is hitting hard on the most vulnerable segments of the population,” further recalls IEE.

Million European sheep

In social networks, the media explain, Internet users even launched the hashtag “cancellation of Eid al-Adha”. “Spread this hashtag to call for the abolition of this holiday so that it is not a religious occasion to perpetuate social differences among Moroccans. Some of our poor class brothers will not be able to celebrate with their families because of the decision made by the rich class.” — the Moroccan writes on his Twitter account.

Faced with these concerns, Prime Minister Aziz Ahannukh vowed to regulate sheep prices as Eid al-Fitr approaches. How ? Importing 1 million animals from Romania, Spain, Italy and Poland, according to the website Hespress.

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But some commentators doubt that this policy will be able to stop the rise in prices. Livestock sellers (local and imported) usually take advantage of the Eid hype to charge higher prices.

In the past, Morocco issued a decree banning Eid al-Adha celebrations three times, always for economic reasons. middle eastern eye. The last time it happened was in 1996. In a country depleted by drought, King Hassan II asked the population to abandon this rite. “But many Moroccans did not respect this ban.”