Outrage in Morocco as Authorities Confiscate Sacrificial Sheep After King Cancels Eid al-Adha Ritual

Watan-In a scene that has ignited widespread anger across Moroccan and Arab communities, Moroccan security forces raided homes in multiple cities and regions to confiscate sacrificial sheep, enforcing a royal decree by King Mohammed VI that canceled the Eid al-Adha ritual this year under the pretext of “economic and health conditions.”

The decision, described by many as a “dangerous precedent,” is seen as a direct infringement on Islamic rituals in a country where Islam is the official religion and the monarch holds the title “Commander of the Faithful.”

Videos circulating on social media show police dragging citizens’ sheep from their homes as if they were contraband, while shocked women and children look on in disbelief, robbed of the joy of Eid under dubious official justifications.

King Mohammed VI claimed the reduction in livestock numbers justified the decision, adding that he would “sacrifice on behalf of the people.” However, many Moroccans viewed the move as an insult to their intelligence and sacred beliefs, interpreting it as a cover-up for the government’s failure to control food prices and protect purchasing power.

To further bewilderment, authorities urged citizens to preserve the “spirit of Eid” by focusing on prayer, charity, and greetings—while stripping them of the core Prophetic tradition. The Minister of Religious Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, failed to provide a convincing explanation for the ban, as criticism mounted over what was described as an insult to a sacred ritual and an attempt to obscure state mismanagement and corruption.

Angry reactions on social media featured slogans such as:

• “Is Islam now a crime in Morocco?”

• “Eid without Sacrifice… A National Disgrace.”

🔴ي مشهد صادم من بلاد من يزعم أنه “أمير المؤمنين” #محمد_السادس.. شهد #المغرب سابقة خطيرة ومؤلمة لكل المسلمين في العالم.. قوات الأمن تقتحم منازل المواطنين وتصادر أضاحي العيد!

لم تُداهم أوكار الإرهـ.ـا.ب ولا شبكات التهريب بل بيوت مواطنين بسطاء اشتروا خروفًا لـ #عيد_الأضحى، فوجدوا… pic.twitter.com/lvv3RKyAXQ

— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) May 31, 2025

Human rights advocates and religious scholars condemned the move as a violation of Islamic foundations and an infringement on the public’s right to observe their faith freely.

Now, the question remains:Will authorities reverse the decision? Or will Moroccans be permanently deprived of Eid al-Adha—because “the Commander of the Faithful” chose to sacrifice on their behalf?