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Saudi Mufti Says Europe's Muslims Must Heed Foot-And-Mouth Warnings
RIYADH, March 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia's top-ranking cleric said Sunday it was acceptable for Muslims living in Europe not to sacrifice animals for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha because of reports of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, saying and that animal sacrifice for the holiday was not an obligation.
"If Muslims in Europe find themselves in a situation where they are prevented from sacrificing a beast after what has been said about the state of the animal, they must abide by the rules," said Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh.
"The sacrifice of an animal is not an obligation for Muslims, but it is a tradition [a Sunnah]. Those who have the means to sacrifice an animal can do it. For those who do not, it is not obligatory," he said.
Sheikh Abdelaziz also declared illegal a religious decree, or fatwa, by a Turkish mufti authorizing the sacrifice of chickens for Eid al-Adha due to Turkey's economic woes.
A Turkish newspaper quoted the dean of Fiqh School at Marmar University in Turkey, Zakaria Beyas as saying "a Muslim can slaughter chicken in place of sheep because of the economic crisis Turkey is going through."
The current Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes up the region that is the birthplace of Islam.
Denmark is the latest European country to report a suspected case of the disease, after French and Belgian authorities reported suspected cases on Saturday. Britain remains the only country in Western Europe where veterinarians have confirmed cases of the infection.
As the source of the scourge, Britain has banned all livestock movement; thrown up quarantines around farms, country parks and zoos; cancelled sporting events and slaughtered 45,000 animals as it struggles to contain the highly infectious disease.
Eid al-Adha, which lasts from Monday to Wednesday, honors the Prophet Abraham (AS) for preparing to sacrifice his son Ismail on the order of God who was testing his faith. According to the Qur'an, at the moment Abraham raised his dagger towards his son, the archangel Gabriel offered a lamb in Ismail's place.
For the holiday, Muslims around the world each year slaughter millions of sheep, goats or cattle to pay tribute to Abraham's devotion to God.
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