Religion

Moroccan Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha despite soaring prices

Rabat, Jul 10 (EFE).- Muslims across Morocco were celebrating Eid al-Adha on Sunday with soaring global food prices and the worst drought the North African country has experienced in years casting a shadow over the festivities.

After two years of crisis caused by the pandemic, inflation and prices have risen to unprecedented levels this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Several Moroccans have complained to Efe about the price of livestock, which are ritually sacrificed for the festival.

Prices reached up to 60 dirhams ($5.93) per kilo so a 40-kilo sheep would cost 2,400 dirhams, a 20% increase compared to last year.

Although there are nearly eight million sheep and goats to satisfy a demand estimated at around 5.6 million, sector professionals pinned the cattle price surge on pasture prices doubling and the sharp increase in fuel prices.

This situation, however, has not hindered many Moroccans from celebrating Islam’s most important holiday.

On the first day of the four-day festival, worshippers flocked to mosques for Eid prayers before heading homes for the sacrifice.

The streets of Rabat were almost empty, with only professional butchers seen walking around with their knives to offer their services.

The Muslim festival commemorates the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son to prove his faith to God, who provided him with a lamb to be sacrificed instead.

The majority of Muslim countries marked the holiday on Saturday due to lunar calendar variations. EFE

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