How I can I convince my (Moroccan) family it's OK to go vegetarian?

Question

This year I discovered vegetarianism (and I did some research about it), and I REALLY want to be vegetarian, but I am struggling:

1. More than 90% of my country does not know this notion. Google Trends reports for Vegetarianism in Morocco:

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2. My family considers meat as something very important (we eat it every day, at least once!)

3. The Eid al-Adha: At this time Muslims have to sacrifice a sheep, cow, goat, buffalo or camel (I don't care much about this).

How can I convince my friends and family (especially my illiterate parents) that what I do is NORMAL?

Answer 1

there is a saying in India which says "iron cuts the iron". Similarly, good food can replace good food. By cooking good veg dishes , you can make room for veg food on the dinner table. You don't even have to cook, you can order from nearby Indian or italian restaurants as they usually have variety of veg options.

There are umpteen recipes for veg dishes. From very simple to complex ones, but you should try to cook. Their ingredients are usually omnipresent or easily replaceable. Share veg food with your friends, guests, family, not as "veg dishes" but "special dishes" if you think veg is stigma in your family / culture. This will open them up to almost a new world of food.

Make friends with vegetarians. They can suggest you good starting points or alternatives. Visit their homes to see how they cook, their approach etc. It can be lot more fun.

I hear France has close connection with Morocco. Why not try vegetarian french dishes as specialties? There's your cultural match.

Remember, everybody loves good food. They don't care what's inside it, but taste does matter and therefore you should adapt the recipes to your taste buds (kind of oil you use or spices and how much).

Last but not the least, visit India. It is the land of Vegetarians. You'd surprised to find pure veg restaurants all over, large sects of people who have never tasted meat (nor their great great ancestors). More importantly, to connect with the culture and philosophy of vegetarianism. Although you have not mentioned why you turned veg all of sudden, it seems evident that it is more than just taste of food that changed your mind. I'm sure you'd learn a lot.

Answer 2

I'm going to make what I suspect will be a slightly controversial suggestion.

Perhaps you could use some islamic scriptures to convince them that vegetarianism is not un-islamic (I am assuming this is a factor).

A brief search on the internet lead me to a fatwa by Hamza Yusuf stating:

Meat is not a necessity in Shari’ah, and in the old days most Muslims used to eat meat, if they were wealthy, like middle class—once a week on Friday. If they were poor—on the Eids. So traditionally Muslims were semi-vegetarians.

Furthermore you could argue that when 'judgement day' arrives and Allah comes to judge people, when Allah turns to you and asks about your treatment of his creatures, you will be able to tell him that you have respected his creations and have avoided causing them unnecessary harm.