King Mohammed VI of Morocco calls on citizens to refrain from sacrificing animals this year.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI has sent a message to his people urging them not to perform the ritual of sacrificing Eid al-Adha animals this year due to a decrease in livestock numbers and its social and economic implications.

The Moroccan Kingdom has officially canceled the ritual of sacrificing animals for Eid al-Adha this year, following the King's call in a message to citizens not to perform the sacrifice ritual this year. The message was followed by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, on Wednesday, February 26, during the main news bulletin on the television channel "Al Oula."The message stated:

"Praise be to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions, my dear people, we have been keen on providing everything necessary for our loyal people to fulfill the requirements of their religion, its obligations and traditions, worship, and transactions, in accordance with what Allah has bestowed upon the Moroccan nation in terms of adherence to the pillars, commitment to confirmed traditions, and celebrating the days of Allah, including Eid al-Adha, which is less than 4 months away. Celebrating this Eid is not just a passing occasion, but it carries strong religious implications, embodying the deep connection of our loyal subjects with the aspects of our true religion and their keenness to draw closer to Allah Almighty and strengthen social and family ties through this noble occasion."

He added: "Our keenness to enable you to fulfill this religious ritual under the best conditions is accompanied by our duty to consider the climate and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant decline in livestock numbers. Therefore, taking into account that Eid al-Adha is a confirmed tradition within one's means, performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income."

The message concluded by saying: "From the standpoint of the trust entrusted to us, in establishing the rituals of religion according to what necessity and legitimate interest require, and fulfilling our duty to alleviate hardship and harm and facilitate matters, in compliance with what is stated in the Almighty's saying: (He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty), we urge our dear people not to perform the ritual of sacrificing animals for Eid this year. We will, God willing, sacrifice the animals on behalf of our people, following the tradition of the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, when he sacrificed two rams and said: 'One is for myself and the other is for my nation.'"

This decision comes in the context of Morocco's efforts to address environmental and economic challenges that have affected the livestock sector, in order to mitigate their impact on the economic and social life of the Moroccan people.