Lamb Slaughter Rankles Va. Community [View All]

The custom of sacrificing lambs to mark the end of the Muslim hajj has caused controversy in the rural Prince William County town of Haymarket, where some residents say an illegal slaughterhouse is being operated in their neighborhood.

The issue is a pen that contained dozens of lambs that were being killed yesterday and then sold to families celebrating Islam's most sacred holiday, Eid-al-Adha, which commemorates sacrifice at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Neighbors said they were outraged over the animals' treatment. They alerted authorities, complained to police about the traffic and expressed concerns about possible environmental damage.

Kim D. Chinn, a Prince William police spokeswoman, said officers were at the scene directing traffic. "Evidently, there's a lot of people out there," Chinn said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4106-2004Feb1.html