Islamic Authorities Call to Keep the Sacrifice of the Lamb in Catalonia

The Islamic community of Catalonia has spoken out about the cancellation of the lamb sacrifice during the Eid Adha festival. The Kingdom of Morocco has suspended the sacrifice this year due to livestock shortages and climatic conditions that threaten their extinction. The Federació del Consell Islàmic de Catalunya and the Unió de Comunitats Islàmiques de Catalunya have issued a statement on the matter.

These organizations state that Morocco's decision "can't be applied to the context of Muslims in Catalonia." They argue that in Catalan territory "there is no similar threat to livestock" nor "a shortage of resources" that would require suspending the sacrifice.

Additionally, the Islamic authority in Catalonia states that "the Eid offering is one of the manifestations that seeks to draw closer to Allah." As such, "it can't be suspended except for a justified cause from the Islamic legal perspective."

Since in Catalonia "the animals for sacrifice are naturally available," these organizations make an appeal. "We call on the Muslims of Catalonia to revive this religious practice with commitment and discipline," the statement reads. However, they ask to do so while respecting the current legal and health regulations in the country."

Spain and Catalonia Still Allow It

The Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha) is the most important sacred festival for Muslims, where prayers culminate with the sacrifice of a lamb. The animal is sacrificed through the halal rite, a method of religious execution by slaughtering without stunning.

This method of sacrifice has been questioned for the suffering it causes the animal and the lack of health prevention measures. The Strasbourg Court authorized the prohibition of halal sacrifice last year. The European judiciary ruled that animal welfare and health safety should take precedence over religious freedom.

Despite some European countries already starting to ban this practice, in Spain and Catalonia it is still allowed. During the lamb festival, thousands of animals are sacrificed without any veterinary control or prior stunning, in public areas and homes. It is of no use that Spain approved a law against animal abuse in 2023.

Contravenes the Regulations

In Catalonia, there is an extensive network of slaughterhouses and butcheries that ensure the supply of meat and other products with the halal brand. 50% of lambs and 40% of calves are slaughtered through this rite. Even the Generalitat promotes and exports these types of products through the Halal Catalunya brand.

Vox has denounced the statement from the Islamic organizations of Catalonia. They consider that the "call to sacrifice lambs in the name of sharia" represents a "challenge to our laws." They accuse the Generalitat of "remaining silent" while Islamism imposes its laws.

The animal rights platform PACMA is gathering support to promote the Zero Law against this type of sacrifice. They warn that halal sacrifice "constitutes a violation of Regulation EC 1099/2009, concerning the protection of animals at the time of killing." They remind that "the practice we will see these days of sacrificing thousands of lambs in the street or in private homes, without prior stunning, is prohibited and classified as very serious."