Eid al-Adha or Eid el-Kebir is celebrated this weekend by Muslims. One of the rites that accompanies it is the sacrifice of livestock, the pieces of which are then offered to the poorest. But in Egypt, a country with the largest Muslim community in the Arab world, respecting the ritual promises to be tricky for some. The economic crisis is hitting the population hard and the price of meat has soared in recent years.
From our correspondent in Cairo,
The animals are gathered in herds under tin roofs, sheltered from the harsh sun. Cows and sheep are for sale everywhere in the streets of the popular district of Ain Shams. “ As Muslim Egyptians, we all get together, and those who can afford it buy an animal and sacrifice it in the morning after prayer, and then they will offer it to the poor » explains Farida, mother.
Impossible to buy a live animal for her. Faced with soaring prices, she is content to buy meat by the cut. In a small shop selling products at discounts by the Ministry of Food, Farida continues: “ Of course, when I bought four kilos of meat last year, I buy two or three now. But here, thanks to the government, we have access to meat at the lowest prices, we find them in small shops like this one. For people who can’t afford to go to the butcher, their prices are much lower than the market prices. »
45 degrees on the thermometer
335 pounds per kilo of Egyptian meat offered by the Ministry of Food, an unbeatable price, but cuts of lower quality. And professional butchers also sell off products during the religious festival. This is the choice made by Mohamed, a well-known butcher in the neighborhood: “ Here in Egypt you can still find cheap meat, the meat here today is 360 pounds, usually it is 420, we lowered it by 60 pounds. »
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And it works… The 45 degrees displayed on the thermometer do not discourage customers. And Mohamed slices dozens of sheep’s feet on an assembly line. In these times of celebration, he rejects gloom: “ The time of Eid, we are all happy, it is the most important holiday. There are people who help, poor people, and people who arrive from Palestine, from Gaza, there are sheep that we share. »
“ People are not very happy »
But one of his colleagues, located a hundred meters away, recognizes the impact of the economic crisis: “ Different because of prices, for example? Of course, the number of sales decreases… For example, those who bought a cow will buy a sheep, those who bought a sheep will buy a piece of meat. »
Omar is one of the many consumers who are reducing their purchases this year. And his heart is not totally in the party: “ It’s a strange emotion, a mixture of joy and depression, joy for the celebration and sadness because of the economic crisis. Generally speaking, people are not very happy. »
Financial compromises are a daily occurrence for the two-thirds of Egyptians who now live below the poverty line. And they are even more painful at the time of religious holidays.
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