Ceuta Muslims Protest Ban on Eid Al-Adha Celebrations Amid Border Closure

No Eid al-Adha celebration in Ceuta this year. Following a meeting of the council of governors, the Spanish government spokesman, Alberto Gaitan, and the Minister of Health, Consumption and the Interior, Javier Guerrero, made this decision, which has angered the Muslims. They intend to celebrate the ritual in secret in residential complexes, reports Assabah.

At the origin of the taking of this decision which strikes the Muslims of the city, the closure of the border crossing point of Bab Sebta by the Moroccan authorities, explains the same source. A closure that has had a negative impact on several activities related to trade and smuggling in the autonomous city. What could corroborate this hypothesis is that the Spanish authorities have authorized the celebration of the Feast of Sacrifice in Melilla but with a ban on importing sheep from Morocco.

As a result, many breeders in northern Morocco who are used to selling their livestock to Moroccans living in the two cities will suffer a loss of income. This ban does not suit Spanish breeders either. The reason is that Muslims living in the two enclaves have always believed that the sheep of these breeders are raised in the same pasture as the pigs. Failing to find the Moroccan sheep to buy, they would prefer to buy cattle for Eid al-Adha.