Animal Rights

Among all the world's major religions, Islam is probably the religion at most odds with the humane treatment of animals and their rights as living beings.

This article is an essay/op-ed by Humanityfirst. Essays/op-eds do not necessarily reflect the views of WikiIslam. See the disclaimer for details.

Animal Torture

The Islamic method of slaughtering animals is brutal because not only does it take the life of an animal, but it does so after torturing the animal and making it bleed to a slow and painful death. It is but common sense that an instantaneous death at least saves the animal the suffering. Still many people are mistakenly made to believe that this slow bleeding to death is less tortuous than an instantaneous death. If you believe this, I pray, you and your children have the fortune to die this slow and gradual death as you watch yourselves bleed.

You may very well still eat meat from animals cut Islamically. But don't say it was better for the animals that way! Scientifically, it is not true that Halal/Kosher method of slaughter is painless as seen from the following medical explanation:

"During halal/kosher slaughter first the skin and the superficial neck musculature are cut through, then the more deeply lying bronchial tube and the esophagus. Thereby those next to it lying Nervi phrenici become simultaneous cut, which supply the diaphragma motor. Each medical student learned and each physician with surgical or anaesthical experience knows that the bronchial tube, the larynx and the esophagus are particularly pain-sensitive organs, whose injury still into deep anestisia cause substantial pain reactions with respiratory embarrassments, pulse frequency and blood pressure increase as well as electrocardiogram changes and that when hurting the carotid artery the well-known carotid-sine-effect shows the special sensitivity of this neck region. During the slow deblooding the split ends often clog/thrombosidize and it must be re-cut. Because of the hurt diaphragma nerves it comes to a paralysis of the diaphragme musculature and to a immobilen Zwerchfellhochstand, i.e. to a stuck slackening of the diaphragma, which is pushed by abdominal organs towards the head when hanging up. This results in a further substantial impairment of the respiration, which is based predominantly on the movement of this muscle chord plate. To the intolerable cut pain the animal gets thus still fear of death by difficulty in breathing. Due to this, fear and pain-caused intensified breathing procedure and difficulty in breathing the blood and the contents from the stomach from the split esophagus are inspired (sucked) into the lungs, which leads additionally to heavy asphyxiation accumulations. And all this - contrary to the statements of the halal/kosher proponents - with full consciousness of the animal! Because the blood supply of the brain is still given. Photographs show the full reactivity and conscious orientation of the animal, which rises after being cut with the terrible neck wound and orients himself towards the exit of the area. The upper veterinarian advice and director of slaughterhouse Dr. Klein recorded this proof over the still existing consciousness of the animal in strip mosaics. Equivalent statements are in the book “animal protection and culture” from M. Kyber with preface of the president of the German animal defence association Dr. A. Grasmüller. The blood supply of the animal brain takes place via three main artery pairs. Two carotid arteries, two arteries within the neck bones and two further in the neck musculature. These six main arteries anastomosieren (are connected) within the upper neck range, since further arteries connections are present to the head basis in the front head area over the Arteria maxillaris. In addition vascular anastomoses (vasular connections) exist over the solid neck musculature to the head inside. This cross-linking of the vessels ensure also on disconnection of the carotid arteries a still sufficient blood supply of the brain. According to the well-known physiological procedure the body reduces its peripheral blood circulation in favour of brain, heart and kidneys up to zero with the deblooding. Since the animal is hung up in addition at the hind legs, the orthostatische liquid pressure in the vascular system supplies additionally the brain with blood and holds the animal with consciousness, until practically with striking heart all blood contents of the vascular system ran out in this way. This procedure takes several minutes after general experience, whereby data exist up to 14 minutes. The different numerical data are to be due to the different criteria, whether one takes the reactions of the body as yardstick, the Cornealreflex, the circulation system or stopping bleeding from the container ends or the heart impact."

German article, translated by Google

Anti-Vegetarianism

My 9 year old daughter saw me fishing one day and decided she didn't want to eat meat. Her innocent heart was not comfortable in what she saw her daddy doing and I encouraged her to do as her heart told her. I am not vegetarian. I eat meat but I do respect and admire those who don't. As human civilization evolves I see our harmony with nature grow as we become a more responsible and less selfish species.

Yet, I've noticed that on several (but not all, to be fair) Islamic websites, not only is vegetarianism discouraged, but it is considered un-Islamic as well. The justification for this is that God made animals on earth for us. So it is wrong not to eat them. What's more, God gave us the ability to dominate animals and hunt/ slaughter them. So vegetarianism is wrong.

Well, have you ever though about applying this logic to alcohol. God gave us alcohol and the ability to drink it. So it should be wrong not to drink a beer. God also gave us pigs. And along with them, the ability to kill and eat pigs. So what's wrong with eating pork? It should be wrong to refrain from ham or bacon strips. This argument can be extended to guns, bombs, anything. At the end of the day, the argument is illogical.

What God really gave us is a highly logical and reasoning mind of our own, a truly innocent and compassionate heart of our own and a world full of wonderful cultures and people, flora and fauna, rivers and lakes and mountains and valleys. Not respecting any of these is an insult to the supernatural entity.

(Also in section on Logic and Reasoning)

Animal Sacrifice

A few ancient civilizations, in their blind rituals, performed human sacrifice. Times have changed since, but not much. Today, we sacrifice millions of animals in the name of God. Islam is probably the only religion today that advocates the sacrifice of lives (of animals) in this manner. What is most disturbing is that Muslims believe this practice as symbolizing self-sacrifice on their part. How can taking the life of another living being be self-sacrifice? The animal is the one feeling the pain of a slow tortuous death. How is that self-sacrifice? Arguments are often put forth of the nature of: It was a self-sacrifice to buy the animal. Well, given that most of us undertake this cost almost everyday to eat, this sure is some self-sacrifice! Besides, isn't this self-sacrifice somewhat insignificant all its costing us is a little money. And what is a paltry sum of money? It's the animal that's making the real sacrifice of its life!

There is nothing divine in animal sacrifice, nor is the practice a personal sacrifice.

See Also

• Animals - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Animals

External Links

• Muslims to Sacrifice 710,000 animals
• Netherland Muslims slaughtered 100,000 animals for Eid ul-Adha
• Shocking slaughterhouse abuse sparks investigation