Do not slaughter pregnant animals on Eid: Veterinarians
Meltem Özgenç – ANKARA
The Ankara Chamber of Veterinarians has asked the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to have imams deliver sermons for people not to slaughter diseased or pregnant animals during the Eid al-Adha, also called the “Festival of the Sacrifice.”
The sermons should also inform citizens about diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans and safety issues regarding meat consumption following the slaughtering.
“The issue is very important for human health and the most important place that we can convey this information to the public are Friday sermons. Sellers of sacrificial animals will also utilize a lot from these sermons. We are waiting for an answer from the Diyanet regarding this issue and we are ready for cooperation,” Hüseyin Tanrıverdi, the chamber head, told daily Hürriyet.
Eid al-Adha is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr), and considered the holier of the two. Practicing Muslims slaughter the sacrificial animal and distribute the meat from the animal to those in need, the poor and relatives.
