CAIRO - The parents of this boy and girl have just bought this ram, to slay it as a sacrifice in Eid el-Adha (the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice), which starts Tuesday and runs for four days. The two children are seen playing with it like a pet, hours before it's being slaughtered. Egyptians hurried to animal markets last week to buy cows, buffalos, camels, rams and goats to sacrifice during the feast. Some meat from these animals is always distributed to poor people and the purchasers' relatives and families. The Egyptian Government imported thousands of heads of animals to be sacrificed. Eid el-Adha also marks the annual Hajj (Major Pilgrimage) to Mecca. Some 1.5 billion Muslims around the world mark the feast Tuesday, as 4 million pilgrims head from Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah for a short rest and to offer prayers.
