” We discussed with our two children and the decision was made : there are no sheep in the house this year. “Imad and Leïla have quickly settled the issue, they say. The couple, both university of algiers has decided to buy a sheep to slaughter and ” the rules of the religion, give two-thirds to the poor “. “It is collective suicide as allow to organize the slaughter in the neighborhood, with all this world that stick around,” says Leila, who wants the authorities do not have even prohibited the ritual sacrifice of the sheep for the Aïd-el-Kébir, this Friday.
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The ritual be maintained…
last July 14, the inter-ministerial Committee of the Fatwa (edict) was pronounced in favour of the continuation of the sacrifice of sheep during the Eid, while recommending to take all the necessary precautions and compliance with the measures of the barriers to avoid a greater proliferation of the new coronavirus. The same commission was also called upon to perform the prayer of Eid at home, in a group or individually, without preaching. The maintenance of sacrificial ritual, if it has satisfied a good part of the opinion attached to the ritual, has pushed the health experts so that cases of infections are up this end of the week after a very short lull. On Tuesday, Algeria recorded for the past 24 hours 616 cases and eight deaths.
… against the advice of experts and professionals from health
This week, a group of experts (in epidemiology, in pneumophtisiology and internal medicine) have launched a call for ” a waiver of the sacrifice of the sheep this year.” “In all the wilayas [departments] go back to the numerous instances of entire families affected by the infection with sometimes, unfortunately, fatal for the weakest members. The collections created by the events of a family (weddings, funerals…) or religious (Eid-el-Fitr) have been pointed as factors directly responsible for the outbreak of an epidemic, wiping out all the efforts and sacrifices made since the start of the response “, say these experts.
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To their eyes, it will be necessary to draw lessons from the experience : “Our group joins its voice to that of the Collective of the faculty of medical sciences, publicized widely in the press and on social networks by many eminent doctors and health professionals who have clearly pleaded in the direction of the highest authorities of the country for a waiver of the sacrifice of the sheep in the year 2020. “In mid-July, the Collective of professors in the medical sciences pointed out that” the cancellation of the sacrifice enacted during the Eid-ul-fitr in 1966 by the late president Houari Boumédiène, admittedly in another context, aiming to give more time for the flocks to multiply, however, has been the accession of the whole of the algerian population “. The same collective has proposed that ” in each commune, an imam, or the mayor of the town shall sacrifice in the name of all its people “.
The question of confinement raised
This controversy has increased, while the voice call is to impose a total containment and strict. When asked about the possibility of imposing a semi-confinement during the Eid-el-Kebir, as was the case during the Eid-el-Fitr (end of Ramadan), the minister of Health responded : “I did not tell you that it’s going to be confined in the same way, but the similarity between the two parties, the family gatherings, while taking into account, this time, of the crowds of people around the sheep, including the day of the Eid through the act of sacrifice to the beast. “The national Union of public health practitioners (SNPSP) pleads for a “total containment” during the two days of Eid. For his part, Khaled Saeed, president of the Union of doctors algerian (UMA) for the eastern region, shares this concern : “We have the certainty that the numbers are going to spike after Eid. The total containment is the best solution. “
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Burst point of sale sheep
meanwhile, the sale of sheep organizes itself and adapts to the new situation of the pandemic. Visually, the informal markets, in private garages in the city, for example, are in sharp decline in Algiers. The wali (prefect) of the capital city had banned access to the department of trucks and transport vehicles, sale of livestock and forage outside of the authorized points of sale, except for the transport of cattle for the abattoirs, on presentation of a veterinary certificate.
points of sale are organized in the outskirts of cities, particularly in the agricultural holdings and farms. “There, the owners of the premises require seriously the instructions of distancing and protection, it is their place of work and life sometimes, so they are paying more attention,” said Ali, who went to seek his sheep in a farm in the south of Algiers. “But these are the customers that it is necessary to discipline : why come in the family or in a group to buy a sheep ?” asks he.
others prefer To follow the new fashion of the sales of sheep… on the Internet. The online shopping sites and social networks provide a showcase unique to the virtual market. Free delivery is guaranteed, the state of health of the animal and its characteristics are well defined… ” I assure you that my sheep is organic, it does not eat anything industrial “, we read on an online ad ! Back in Imad and Leïla, who have delegated to the abattoir to choose and sacrifice the sheep. “In the Koran, God said, “Neither the flesh nor the blood of these animals were of importance to God. Only one account for Him to your piety,” “says Imad, adding :” Then why all this craziness around the ritual ? The key is to preserve the lives. “
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writing will advise you
Mediator : a penalty of a billion euros ? Algeria : the cry of alarm of doctors with the Covid-19 Bachelor of 2020 : “A bit like if we had stolen our bin ! “Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia,… :” No mosques for ramadan ” Tunisia : a funny Eid Morocco : Eid-ul-fitr strange
