And then There were None

The Eid, Al Adha, is the sacrifice of the sheep to honor Profit Ibrahim. All families throughout Morocco and Muslim countries come together in this sacrificial ceremony where the sheep is butchered, cooked, and then served. 

The day of Eid I woke up at 7am to hear screaming that did not sound like the screams of a human being.  I looked out my window and saw all the balconies across from me covered in sheep.  What I love about my neighborhood is I am in a brand new building in an older, authentic neighborhood.  Well, Priscilla wanted an authentic experience-she got it except the human contact was limited and the sheep contact was in abundance.  

Some balconies had already started their sacrifice hence the screaming and the blood present all over the floor of the balcony.  The head just sitting there next to a little three year old staring at it and his mother mopping up the blood. There were actually five sheep that sat across from me on the balcony.  I just sat there staring at them playing with one another.  Five sheep, four sheep, three sheep, two sheep, and then there were none. I just sat and watched in horror on my balcony and astonishment with what they do with all the meat. They hang up the flesh or the skin on the clothing lines. The heads just sit on the balcony until they are collected by the local men.  The local men come with their wagons collecting the sheep fur and the fat-keep in mind this is directly in front of my apartment.  Boys are on the street cooking the sheep and local men walk up and down my alley way with butcher knives to help I guess with the “difficult sheep.” Actually my friend says that when you kill a sheep there it does not feel any pain because it knows the death is coming and something shuts off in his brain a few seconds before the killing.  Perhaps this is true or perhaps he is just rationalizing his behavior.   

When I say killing, Moroccan like to correct me and say “sacrifice.” This is a religious practice that is done each year and is done in the service of God.  At the end of the day, over 1 million sheep are dead for this sacrifice, but perhaps they go to a happier place.

The sheeps are supposed to be shared, bought, or given to those that cannot afford sheep.   Talking with my clients, it appears that people are not always living up the pillar of “charity to others.” There are many that do not get a sheep or have to steal one.  Perhaps the rich are investing too much in their Range rover SUV Stock-such a wide disparity and a lack of insight and caring between the two cultures.