Oct20
Launch of Islamic Animal Rights Site
Posted at 11:30 AM | Permalink
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Comments (16)
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According to the survey, one in four people worldwide is Muslim, and the countries with the largest numbers of Muslims might surprise you. India, for example, whose residents are mostly Hindus, is home to the largest number of Muslims outside Indonesia and Pakistan. Russia, China, and Germany also have large Muslim populations.
In an effort to reach out to the growing Muslim community, a new Web site, IslamicConcern.com, has just launched which includes hadiths —sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)—and quotations from the Qur'an and Islamic leaders about compassion for all of God's creation, including animals.
At IslamicConcern.com, people can learn about how modern factory farming techniques—such as branding animals, amputating their tails and castrating them without anesthetics, and burning off birds' beaks—seem to violate the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) teachings to cause no pain to an animal before she or he is slaughtered. Animals raised for food are often fed the ground-up bodies of pigs, chickens, and cattle along with chicken excrement and other waste products. Many Muslims believe this is most probably haram (forbidden).
Even if you aren't a Muslim, I encourage you to check out IslamicConcern.com. You might be interested to learn how much Islamic teachings about kindness to animals have in common with Christianity, Judaism, and other major religions.
Posted by Mr. Hanif Akhtar, PETA Member
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Comments
Halal needs to be addressed. Both halal and kosher methods of slaughtering animals is particularly violent.
There exist no guidelines for Christians to kill/slaughter the other animals; Jesus, the fountain of compassion, left no directions.
Go VeGan!
Posted by: AAG | October 15, 2009 01:58 PM
Hey Mr. Hanif Akhtar, please add me as your friend on Facebook!
www.Facebook.com/niran
Posted by: Niranjan | October 20, 2009 12:09 PM
fantastic! thank you mr. akhtar for your post. too often muslims are spoken for on AR sites as opposed to given the platform to speak for themselves. thank you for your post and i look forward to checking out the new site. hey AAG, why did you feel it necessary to put down islam & judaism in response to a blog attempting to bridge the gap between us? it's rude and embarassing to thinking christians.
Posted by: happy vegan | October 20, 2009 12:15 PM
Muslims definitely need to step up when it comes to recognizing the needs of animals! Agreed AAG - halal and kosher slaughtering methods are very cruel. Something needs to be done about this. Thanks for posting this, Mr. Hanif Akhtar! Btw, I've known about that website for years, is there something new thats been added to it?
Posted by: farah | October 20, 2009 01:13 PM
@ farah – The site has been updated and revamped. You should definitely check out the new article from “New Scientist” regarding religious slaughter.
Posted by: Shawna Flavell | October 20, 2009 03:29 PM
Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, is a longstanding vegetarian who immensely admires Gandhi !
Posted by: Brien Comerford | October 20, 2009 08:12 PM
happy vegan
Try to be a honest vegan as well. Both halal and kosher are extremely cruel and needs to be addressed. Under the guise of religion, animal advocates have not made any inroads in addressing this. Most of the live slaughter places where I live are run by moslems; it is too painful for me to walk by them. I am sure the animals awaiting to be slaughtered would like me to address halal (they include sheep, goats, rabbits, ducks, chickens, calves).
Santeria also kills animals under the guise of "religion", this also has been difficult for animal activists to address and change.
Christians aren't embarassed, they are happy that Christ left no directions on how to slaughter the other animals, He was too busy spreading His message of love and peace. As a Catholic, I have and so have others addressed this; look up Catholic Concern for Animals online.It addresses all issues on animals and promotes veganism.
Thanks farah, for your support, honesty and desire to address this.
To be vegan is a moral imperative.
Posted by: AAG | October 21, 2009 07:41 AM
furtunately the Holy Koran and the Hadith contain both strict advices how animals should be treated! but 1400 years ago there was no other slaughter method than the one the Prophet Mohammed told to practice but nowadays every upright muslim should go vegetarian because according to modern ethical and humane standards the hallal slaughtering of animals is inhumane and utterly cruel! these times must be left behind us now once and for all!!!!!
Posted by: animalfriend | October 21, 2009 01:19 PM
AAG,
the animals have a true friend in you. and of course the issues you mention need to be addressed, but in the appropriate setting. i'm simply asking you to recognize the context - a member of a marginalized group reaching out for understanding and unity with others of us not of his faith. it's our job to return the gesture kindly, keeping in mind how far we are from animal liberation, but recognizing the bridge we need to build together to get there. but instead you specifically outline why you won't acknowledge this first step mr. akhtar is taking and why your messiah is better than his. i'm sorry, but that's rude.
Posted by: happy vegan | October 21, 2009 03:16 PM
I truly admire the fact that there are people out there who are muslims and care about animals. But why is it haram to have a dog????
Posted by: Mallak | October 21, 2009 03:21 PM
happy vegan
You are being rude by judging and calling names and that is why many people who are not advocates for animals are turned off. Halal and kosher are very violent killing methods that need to addressed, period. Be sensitive to the plight of animals and not overly sensitive to cruel methods of killing that I mention. This is the proper forum--an animal rights blog--and the murder of animals is not pretty.
So stop being rude to me and playing the role of victim for islam. It is the animals that are suffering and like Karen Davis, PhD I make no apologies for my advocacy. Being that you do not know me stop calling names, that is rude.
I don't want to continue this absurd exchange; my focus is the never-ending suffering of animals.
Go vegan it is a moral imperative!
Posted by: AAG | October 22, 2009 07:40 AM
Mallak - i think the original thought of a dog being haram was for health reasons! in hot countries there are many diseases among stray dogs and at Prophet Mohammed's times there was not enough health care for both people and animals - but i think for a mordern times muslim it's not haram having a dog but it's rather haram to abandon dogs in the street and buy from puppy mills! i think the Prophet knew this coming problem and he meant exactly that it was shameful to buy dogs rather than to care about helpless dogs and animals - as He said that everything good being done for an animal shall be honored in Heaven!
Posted by: ratking | October 22, 2009 07:44 AM
dear AAG,
i'm so sorry that you felt i was name calling you. i don't know how you got that impression.
Posted by: happy vegan | October 22, 2009 10:49 AM
This is very interesting. I had always heard Islam had no regard for animals at all. Now I know they are just as individual as we are as it pertains to animals. The bottom line is CULTURE is no excuse for cruelty, no matter which culture.
I am wondering if there are vegans in Muslim culture.
Posted by: Rebecca | October 24, 2009 02:35 PM
Rebecca, there are many vegan/vegetarian Muslims, I am one of them : )
Posted by: Aisha | November 30, 2009 07:31 AM
We are Muslim, and our family's interpretation of Islam demands compassion for animals. The very word "Islam" derives from "peace," and the slaughter and abuse of animals is the opposite of peace.
Posted by: Cheryl | January 12, 2010 08:04 PM