Qatar residents continue to pour into local slaughterhouses for their animals to be butchered in honor of Eid Al Adha, which began on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Today marks the end of the three-day  Muslim holiday, the “festival of the sacrifice,” which falls during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah. According to Islamic tradition, the holiday commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to follow God’s order to sacrifice his only son at the time as a testament of faith and obedience.

Ultimately, God spared Abraham’s son, ordering a ram be killed in his place. Muslims are required to distribute some of the meat of the animal to family members and donate some as charity.

Over the past few years, Qatar has been cracking down on slaughters that take place outside of approved abattoirs. But according to the Peninsula, the long lines and huge crowds at Widam (formerly Mawashi’s) five slaughterhouses have prompted some to butcher their sheep in their homes (either outside or in the carpark).

The newspaper reports:

But the Municipal Ministry had warned it was illegal to butcher animals in other places other than the designated abattoirs with butchers licensed by the Municipal Ministry. It stressed it is a must to have animals butchered in abattoirs where it is done by licensed butchers in the presence of veterinarians who check the animal before and after the slaughter for hygiene.

Widam, which said it expects to slaughter some 10,000 sheep during Eid, will keep abattoirs open until 8pm today.

Thoughts?