Iraqi butcher gets 10 years for selling pork in holy city
The man was caught with 75kg of pork that he was selling as beef in Najaf, home to one of the world's most revered Shia Muslim shrines.
A butcher in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling pork that he falsely labeled as beef, according to a ruling by Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council. The court caught the individual with 75kg of pork that he was passing off as beef, a practice that, while contrary to Islamic dietary laws, is not explicitly prohibited by Iraqi law.
The city of Najaf, home to a revered Shia Muslim shrine, attracts millions of pilgrims annually. The butcher, who was arrested this month, faced charges under a 1998 law that criminalizes the sale of meat deemed unfit for human consumption. Many residents, including a local named Ahmad al-Mansouri, were caught off guard by the arrest, having previously purchased meat from the butcher believing it to be high quality and inexpensive.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Iraqi butcher gets 10 years for selling pork in holy city freemalaysiatoday.com
- Iraqi butcher jailed 10 years for passing off pork as beef in holy city of Najaf malaymail.com
