Come with us to the kasbah!

Hold onto your hats for this story!

October 16 is one of the most important days in the Moslem calendar.

The day before came as quite a shock to us. All over Marrakech we saw men on motorbikes with a sheep draped between them and the handlebars.

Most times there was also a pillion passenger.

Sometimes the sheep got a ride on a cart or in the back of a open 'tuk-tuk'.

Then .......

.... the old saying "like lambs to the slaughter" was literally happening right in front of our eyes!

What is it all about? This special day is Eid al-Adha (Eid). Muslims worldwide sacrifice a sheep in celebration of the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his first-born son but was spared from doing so when Allah provided a lamb instead of his son to sacrifice.

Early on the day of Eid the family slaughter a sheep in their courtyard or street, skin it, cook the head and all the offal and feast with their family. The carcass is hung overnight and cooked the following day and the feasting continues.

All over Casablanca we saw men and young boys either tending the 'Baa Baa Q', chopping blackened sheep's heads with meat cleavers or walking nonchalantly in the streets carrying huge, machete-like knives and wearing bloodied coats, aprons and boots! The smoke and the smell of burning sheep was all pervasive.

After the feast the skins are gathered and taken to the tannery to be made into rugs, slippers etc. Sometimes they remain in the streets for several days before they are removed!

All this is seen as a normal event in the cultural calendar but our animal rights' groups and the ABC would have a field day over here on Eid!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy