Eid-ul-Adha: A Demonstration of Disrespect for Animal Lives
Every year this day, when 1.2 billion Muslims celebrate in a crude orgy of violence in the name of sacrifice, I spend the day in penance and silent prayer to Almighty, for having been born into this faith, but unable to come to term with its cruel practices.
Every year, millions of Muslims gather on the ground of Arafat in Mecca, to perform pilgrimage, and on this concluding day of their rituals to sacrifice animals. The Saudi government, being unable to properly dispose of the carcasses, simply destroys millions of them in an exhibition of insensitivity to animal lives. What a sheer waste!
It is particularly the Muslim way of slaughtering animals, the sheer brutality exhibited in the manner of its execution and the goriness of it, that gets me. I still vividly remember a childhood scenario: a particularly strong cow stood up with half of its throat slit, and started a mad dash to run way from its tormentors, bleeding profusely.
Over 2,500 years ago Buddha taught the principle of nonviolence; 500 years later, Jesus displayed an astonishing feat of divinity by uttering on the cross, “God please forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Yet, 600 years later, Mohammad taught a religion which was so far off from those lofty principles. His teachings and practices bear such bloodshed and violence that is not quite befitting as a comparatively modern religion.
To give credit to Mohammad, after he declared his prophethood, he had banned the pagan tradition of Hajj for one year. The people of Mecca petitioned him, complaining that the annual pilgrimage was their major source of revenue, and lifeblood of their economy. From next year on, Mohammed sanctioned revival of that pagan tradition with its age-old practices.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati