Elsewhere in the world… a man was trampled to death by a cow in Palestine.
A spooked cow killed a Palestinian man who was trying to slaughter the beast Saturday during the Muslim celebration of Eid Al Adha, a Gaza health official said.
The 52-year-old man who died was trampled to death, and another three people were seriously injured when the cow ran wild in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, said health official Ashraf al-Kidra.
Muslims around the world slaughter sheep, cows and goats, during the four-day holiday that began Friday. The holiday commemorates the sacrifice by the Prophet Ibrahim, known to Christians and Jews as Abraham.
But accidents are common as people frequently buy animals to slaughter themselves instead of paying professional butchers. The festive atmosphere at the site of the slaughtering also tends to make the animals fidgety.
In Gaza, where over a third of the territory’s 1.6 million residents live in poverty and nearly 80 percent rely on food aid, few people ever eat fresh meat regularly, making the holiday an even bigger treat.
During the holiday’s first day in particular, Gaza’s sandy alleyways and main streets are drenched in blood and entrails. Curious, war-hardened children stick their hands in the blood and watch in fascinated crowds as their elders butcher the livestock.
Impoverished families save all year to pay for an animal to slaughter, with many families often pooling their resources.
During the festivities, residents distribute at least a third of their meat to the poor, and another third to neighbors, giving the celebration a sense of communal solidarity.
Public slaughtering is common in Gaza, where professional butcher shops are pricey.
“It’s neither healthy nor good. But it’s a tradition,” al-Kidra said. “Most Gazans can’t believe they’ve finally managed to get an animal. They ask themselves: why should I pay for a butcher when I can slaughter it myself?”
Poor thang! He was plotting on beef but not that kind.