A proposal to open a temporary slaughterhouse for Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays of the Muslim faith, has been requested to the Brussels region through a letter sent by the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek.
The decision to send the request to the Brussels region was unanimously approved by members of Molenbeek’s town council.
Former Molenbeek mayor and current alderwoman for culture Françoise Schepmans reportedly opposed the measure, but according to Belgian media, was not present when it was voted on.
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“I would not have accepted it if I had been there,” Schepmans, who is also running in Brussels' upcoming regional elections, told Sudinfo.
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is a four-day holiday observed by Muslims the world over, and which will take place this year around August 11.
Its celebration consists of slaughtering livestock to make a meal, shared with family and community members.
A 2016 decision by the Brussels region to set up a temporary slaughtering site operated by a private firm, reportedly resulted in a “fiasco.”
The following year, the region said that it would not organise it again, and the Brussels region Minister-President eventually apologised to the Muslim community for the events of the previous year.Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
