Stuffweneed: 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Witness

The Witness

The producer of this film has now made it accessible to the people around the globe.

This is a story of a Brookline (New York) residence whose values undergo a transformation when he is invited for dinner at his brother's house.

Very powerful and sensitive film.

I strongly recommend it ---Syed Rizvi

http://www.tribeofheart.org/sr/sr_witscreeningroom_english.htm

Sunday, December 20, 2009

India bans the use of elephants in zoos and circuses.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

An Enemy Imagined? Episode 1 to 6

Friday, December 11, 2009

Islam Watch Notre Dame Conference

Islam Watch Notre Dame Conference Probes the Roots of Islam Part 1

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=warraq_fi_30_1

"IF" you must kill.....

“IF YOU MUST KILL” , kill without torture (Muhammad)

Islam and Animal Rights

Norm Phelps

Before he founded Islam, Mohammad ibn Abdullah (570-632 CE) was a successful merchant from Mecca, in the heart of the Arabian peninsula, who had traveled about the eastern end of the Mediterranean since he was a teen-ager working for his uncle. By the time he received his first vision, at about the age of forty, Mohammad was thoroughly familiar with the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, the religions that predominated in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. In that introductory vision, the angel Gabriel told him that he had been chosen to be the last of God’s prophets on Earth—a line that included Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, among others—who would reveal to humankind the final and fullest expression of God’s will. Periodically, for the remainder of his life, Mohammad experienced visions of Gabriel, who dictated to him revelations that he memorized and recited to members of his inner circle. Written down by his followers, these revelations became the scripture of the new faith, the Quran. Since the Quran is the record of revelation to a single individual, it is a unitary, internally coherent document that is less open to diverse interpretations than the Bible, which reflects a dialogue among multiple authors with widely divergent points of view. It is difficult to quote the Quran against itself.

Representing the actual words of God’s heavenly messenger, the Quran is the most fundamental of the three tiers on which Muslim practice and ethics are built. When its application to a particular situation is clear, a Muslim need look no farther. The Quran must be obeyed.[i]

Even so, it often happens that the precise application of the basic principles enunciated in the Quran is not immediately obvious. In those cases, Muslims turn to the second level of teaching, the ahadith. The Ahadith (plural; the singular is hadith) are a collection of narratives handed down from members of Mohammad’s inner circle which report things that the Prophet said and did. Since they describe how Mohammad himself applied the principles of the Quran to daily life, the ahadith are also considered authoritative.[ii]

If the ahadith leave room for interpretation, Muslims have recourse to the third level: decisions issued by prominent legal authorities and accepted by a consensus of Muslim scholars. Arrived at by applying the logical principles of “inference and analogy” to the Quran and the ahadith, these judicial findings are known collectively as sharia, or “customary law,” and they constitute precedents for subsequent generations of jurists. In the West, Sharia is often referred to as “Islamic law,” or “religious law,” but it is actually that portion of Islamic law that is analogous to and plays a role similar to case law in American jurisprudence. Although it lacks the absolute authority of the Quran and the ahadith, Sharia is sustained by the weight of tradition. If a large enough portion of Muslim judicial authorities—known collectively as the ulama—can be persuaded that a particular judgment is mistaken or no longer applicable, it can be changed.[iii] But in traditional societies that often equate change with evil, that is not an easy process.

Taken together, the Quran, the ahadith, and customary law teach a fully-developed, doctrine of animal welfare. On the one hand, we may enslave and kill animals for our own benefit; and on the other, we must minimize their incidental suffering and show them kindness whenever that does not unduly interfere with our exploitation of them.

Masters of the Beasts
The Quran teaches that animals are sentient beings who form societies much like ours, who live under God’s care, just as we do, and who—in a manner that is never directly explained—worship God.[iv]

All the beasts that roam the earth and all the birds that soar on high are but communities like your own.[v]

There is not a creature on earth but God provides its sustenance.[vi]

Do you not see how God is praised by those in the heavens and those on earth? The very birds praise Him as they wing their way. He notes the prayers and praises of all His creatures; God has knowledge of all their actions.[vii]

This conviction that animals are in some sense persons, and that God is concerned for their wellbeing, is the theological underpinning of Islamic teachings on animal welfare. And yet, despite this, the Quran is profoundly anthropocentric; it teaches that human beings are the apex of creation, God’s designated rulers of the Earth. In Surah 35:39, the angel instructs Mohammad to remind the human race that, “[God] it is who made you viceregents on earth.”[viii]

This is the Muslim equivalent of the Judeo-Christian doctrine of dominion. The implications for animals of this grant of power to humanity are spelled out in unmistakable terms. God created animals for the explicit purpose of providing us with food, clothing, labor, shelter, and transportation, and we may enslave and kill them for these purposes without incurring guilt. In fact, we are instructed to enjoy these gifts in a spirit of thanksgiving to God for his generosity.

Do they [humanity] not see how . . . We [God] have created for them the beasts of which they are masters? We have subjected these to them, that they may ride on some and eat the flesh of others; they drink their milk and put them to other uses. Will they not give thanks?[ix]

It is God who has provided you with beasts, that you may ride on some and eat the flesh of others. You put them to many uses; they take you where you wish to go, carrying you by land as ships carry you by sea.[x]

God has given you houses to dwell in, and animals’ skins for tents, so that you may find them light when you travel and easy to pitch when you halt for shelter; while from their wool, fur, and hair, He has for a space of time provided you with comforts and domestic goods.[xi]

The inescapable internal contradiction between the two propositions of animal welfare is nowhere clearer than in Islam. God loves and nurtures animals and turns them over to us so that we can enslave and kill them.

The deceptive image of animal welfare – a mask of kindness concealing the face of cruelty – is captured in an hadith that quotes the Prophet:

Allah has enjoined us to be merciful to all; wherefore when ye slay, let it be done in the most merciful manner. And when you perform zibh [slit the throat of an animal], let one of you sharpen your knife and do it in the easiest manner for the animal.[xii]

The She-Camel of the Samood
The Quran does not explicitly command kindness to animals. The Quranic reference most often cited as a basis for requiring kindness to animals is the story of an ancient people known as the Samood to whom God sent a prophet named Salih. When the Samood were reluctant to accept Salih’s call for them to renounce their pagan gods, Salih left a female camel with them as a test of their faithfulness. “My people,” he told them, “Here is God’s she-camel, a sign for you. Leave her to graze at will in God’s own land, and do not molest her lest an instant scourge should fall upon you.”[xiii] But no sooner had Salih left, then the Samood slaughtered the camel and were promptly wiped out by the plague that Salih had threatened.

Since the Quran permits the slaughter of camels for food and sacrifice, it could appear to an outsider that the sin of the Samood was not killing the camel, but disobeying God’s prophet. The traditional Islamic reading, however, is, in the words of Islamic scholar and animal advocate, Imam Al-Hafiz B. A. Masri, that “This historic incident sets forth the essence of the Quran’s teaching on ‘animal rights.’ Cruelty to animals is so offensive to God that it is declared as a serious sin . . .”[xiv]

For straightforward condemnations of cruelty to animals, we must turn to the ahadith, where they are, in fact, plentiful.

We were on a journey with the Apostle of God, and he left us for a while. During his absence, we saw a bird called hummara [desert lark, amomanes deserti] with its two young and took the young ones. The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back and said: "Who has hurt the FEELINGS of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her." (Narrated by Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Mas'ud. Muslim. Also Awn [Ref. No. 32] Hadith No. 2658. Also "Guillaume" [Ref. No. 57]; p. 106)[xv]

A man once robbed some eggs from the nest of a bird. The Prophet had them restored to the nest. (Narrated by Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Mas'ud. Muslim. Also Awn [Ref. No. 32] Hadith No. 2658. Also "Guillaume" [Ref. No. 57]; p. 106)[xvi]

The Prophet told his companions of a woman who would be sent to Hell for having locked up a cat; not feeding it, nor even releasing it so that it could feed herself. (Narrated by Abdullah bin 'Omar. Bukhari, 4:337; recorded in Riyad [Ref. No. 28], Hadith No. 1605; p. 271. Also Muslim, Vol. 4, Hadith No. 2242. English translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi; Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan; 1976; Vol. 4, Hadith No. 5570; p. 1215.)[xvii]
The Prophet told his companions of a serf who was blessed by Allah for saving the life of a dog by giving it water to drink and quenching its thirst. (Narrated by Abu Huraira. Muslim, Vol. 4, Hadith No. 2244. Also Bukhari, 3:322. Also Awn [Ref. No. 32]; Hadith No. 2533, and others)[xviii]
The Prophet was asked if acts of charity even to the animals were rewarded by God. He replied: "Yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive." (Narrated by Abu Huraira, Bukhari, 3:322. Also Muslim, Vol. 4; Hadith No. 2244. Also Awn [Ref. No. 32], 7:222, Hadith No. 2533. Also Mishkat al-masabih, Book 6; Chapter 6)[xix]
Saying daily prayers (salat) is one of the five most important obligations of the Muslim religion. In the following Hadith, one of his companions tells us that the holy Prophet and his fellow travelers used to delay even saying their prayers until they had first given their riding and pack animals fodder and had attended to their needs: "When we stopped at a halt, we did not say our prayers until we had taken the burdens off our camels' backs and attended to their needs." (Narrated by Anas. Awn (Ref. No. 32); 7:223; Hadith No. 5234. Also "Guillaume" (Ref. No. 57); pp.106, 107).[xx]
Vegetarian Islam
Neither the Quran, the ahadith, nor customary law forbids vegetarianism, although there is the suggestion that since God has given us animals to eat, we should enjoy the gift with gratitude. The attitude of mainstream Muslim authorities toward vegetarianism is captured in these two fatawa (judicial rulings that taken together make up customary law; the singular is fatwa) by contemporary Islamic authorities.

Muslims are not vegetarianists. However, if someone prefers to eat vegetables, then they are allowed to do so. Allah has given us permission to eat meat of slaughtered animals, but He has not made it obligatory upon us.[xxi]

One should not think that it is better to abstain from eating these foods, that doing so will be rewarded, or that being a vegetarian is closer to Allah than not, and so on. It is not permitted to draw closer to Allah in this way. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who is the best of mankind and the closest to Allah, used to eat meat and honey and drink milk. . . Once this matter is clear in your mind, there is nothing wrong with not eating food that you do not like.[xxii]
In other words, it is acceptable to be vegetarian as a matter of personal preference, but to assert that vegetarianism is a more spiritual way of life or that it is more consistent with Muslim teachings on compassion and kindness than meat eating is not acceptable. To do so denies the authority of the Quran and the ahadith and implies that Mohammad was not in all regards the perfect spiritual role model.
In most Muslim communities, vegetarian or vegan Muslims can expect to meet with strong disapproval—especially if they describe themselves as “ethical” vegetarians—much as they would in most conservative Christian communities. There are no reliable statistics, but it would be safe to say that of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism has the highest percentage of vegetarians and Islam the lowest. The exception to this rule are the Sufis, the mystical tradition that exists within both the Sunni and Shiite schools of Islam. There have been a number of famous Sufi saints who were vegetarian, and some Sufi communities, especially in the West, practice vegetarianism, although authorities within mainstream Islam sometimes question whether Western Sufi communities are authentically Islamic.
* * *
Islam prescribes a procedure of ritual slaughter for animals who are being killed for food or sacrifice that is very similar to ritual slaughter in Judaism. Essentially, it requires that the doomed animal not be bound at the time of slaughter, that he be killed by a single stroke of a sharp knife across his throat, causing him to bleed to death, and that he be conscious when his throat is slit. The first provision is intended to reduce the victim’s fear; the second has two purposes: to insure a quick loss of consciousness and to allow the blood to drain from the body, since Muslims, like Jews, are forbidden to eat meat with blood still in it; and the third is to assure that the victim is alive when he is slaughtered, as Muslims—again like Jews—are forbidden to eat carrion.
The requirement that the animal be conscious when the knife slits his throat is widely interpreted as a prohibition against stunning, which means that if it were not for “religious exceptions,” both Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter would violate animal cruelty laws in Europe and North America.[xxiii] And for good reason. A conscious animal whose throat is slit experiences terrible fear and suffering before she dies. Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter conducted without stunning is animal cruelty of a most grotesque sort, especially in high-volume slaughter houses that use the shackle and hoist method.
Killing in the Name of God
Animal sacrifice is called for in the Quran, the ahadith, and customary law, and is still practiced today. The Quran tells us that:

God has made the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, the sacred month, and the sacrificial offerings with their ornaments eternal values for mankind.[xxiv]

Pray to your Lord and sacrifice to him.[xxv]

An hadith confirms this commandment by reporting that:

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) dwelt at Medina for ten years and performed sacrifice every year. (Tirmidhi)[xxvi]

The sacrifice is an annual affair, conducted during one of the most sacred festivals in the Muslim calendar, Eid-al-Adha[xxvii], the Feast of the Sacrifice, a four day celebration that marks the end of the Hajj, the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim whose health and finances permit must make at least once in his or her life. The sacrifice is not limited to Mecca or to Muslims making the Hajj, however. Every Muslim anywhere in the world who can afford it is expected to participate in the sacrifices of Eid-al-Adha.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of live sheep are shipped to Saudi Arabia, primarily from the Middle East, Australia, and Romania, to be slaughtered at Eid-al-Adha. The conditions in which they are transported and warehoused while awaiting death are horrific. In 2006, two million pilgrims made the Hajj,[xxviii] and while the Saudi government never announces the number of animals killed, no more than seven people may share the sacrifice of one animal. This puts the minimum number at around three-hundred-thousand, and the likely number closer to a million. Eid-al-Adha turns the city of Mecca into a giant slaughterhouse, a city of suffering, terror, and death. Millions more are slaughtered around the world in a global festival of killing. And to make matters worse, sheep and goats, the animals typically slaughtered for Eid-al-Adha, must be less than a year old.[xxix] Eid-al-Adha is a slaughter of children.[xxx]

* * *

Eid-al-Adha commemorates the story told in the Quran of Abraham dreaming that he offered his son Ismail as a sacrifice to God. Interpreting the dream as a divine command, Abraham – with Ismail’s consent – prepared to sacrifice his son. But just as Abraham was preparing to plunge the knife into him, God miraculously provided a ram to be killed in place of the young man.[xxxi]

The primary significance of the story for Muslims is that Abraham placed his will in complete submission to God, even to the point of being willing to kill his son. “Islam” means “submission,” and submission to God’s will is the ultimate Muslim virtue. A secondary meaning is the replacement of human sacrifice with animal sacrifice, which Muslims (wrongly, but in common with most human beings) regard as a great moral advance.

The Quran is quite clear that God has no need of and takes no pleasure in the physical aspect of the sacrifice.

Their [sacrificed animals] flesh and blood does not reach God. It is your piety that reaches Him. Thus has He subjected them to your service, so that you may give glory to God for guiding you.[xxxii]

In Islam, sacrifice is not intended—as it is in other religions—to mollify the deity; it is merely the visible token of the worshipper’s submission to God. Reflecting this, the meat of the sacrificed animal is divided into thirds. One third is kept by the sponsor of the sacrifice; one third is given to relatives and friends; and one third is donated to the poor. As a contemporary Islamic scholar puts it:

Sacrifice in Islam . . . is essentially symbolic – an external symbol of an internal dedication and voluntary submission to the Will of the Almighty.[xxxiii]

This raises the question, Why not dispense with the killing and replace it with an act that does not do violence to Islamic teachings on kindness and compassion, such as contributing money to charity? If it is God’s will that we treat animals with love and gentleness, how could robbing an innocent animal of his precious life be a symbol of submission to God’s will? Killing is profane, and killing in the name of holiness profanes the sacred.

From very early times, Judaism practiced animal sacrifice; and from the building of the First Temple in 960 BCE, it practiced sacrifice on a daily basis. But under Jewish law, sacrifice could only take place in the Temple, and so when the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, it came to an abrupt and permanent halt. Christianity never practiced animal sacrifice, not out of compassion for animals, but because of the Christian belief that the sacrifice of the son of God on the cross ended once and for all the need for other sacrifices. (See the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews, chapter 10.) Animal sacrifice was central to most of the pagan religions of Europe and North Africa, but that ended in the fourth century CE when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and quickly moved to suppress all other faiths.

Today, apart from certain sects of Hinduism, primarily centered in Nepal, and some religions of African origin, such as Santeria, Islam is the world’s only major religion that still practices animal sacrifice.[xxxiv] It is time for the teachers and practitioners of all religions, including Islam, to move beyond killing God’s sentient creatures into the fullness of the compassion that is central to their faith.

Armstrong, Karen, Islam: A Short History, New York, The Modern Library, 2002.

Awad, Rana, “Sheep breeders fare average ahead of Eid Al Adha, but face foreign competition,” in The Jordan Times, January 17, 2006. On the worldwide web at http://www3.estart.com/arab/news/sheep.html. Viewed on January 17, 2006.

The Koran, translated with notes by N. J. Dawood, London, Penguin Books, 1999.

Masri, Al-Hafiz B. A., “Animal Experimentation: The Muslim Viewpoint,” in Animal Sacrifices: Religious Perspectives on the Use of Animals in Science, edited by Tom Regan, Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 1986.

---------------------------, Animals in Islam, on the website of CHAI (Concern for Helping Animals in Israel) at http://www.chai.org.il/_chai_sites/en/compassion/islam/heritage_islam_i.htm. Viewed on January 16, 2006.

Pulford, Cedric, “Debate Continues on Incorporating Animal Sacrifices in Worship,” in Christianity Today, Week of October 23, 2000. On the worldwide web at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/143/34.0.html. Viewed on January 17, 2006.

Siddiqi, Muhammad Iqbal, The Ritual of Animal Sacrifice in Islam, Lahore (Pakistan), Kazi Publications, undated.

About the author:
Norm Phelps is an animal rights activist for more than twenty-five years. He is a Buddhist and Unitarian-Universalist who believes that the fundamental message of all the world’s great religions points us toward boundless love and compassion for all of creation. He works to encourage people in all religious traditions to extend their faith’s teachings on compassion to all sentient beings. Besides his numerous papers, articles, and talks at conferences, Norm is the author of three outstanding books namely: 1) The Dominion of Love: Animal Rights According to the Bible (Lantern Books, 2002), 2) The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights (Lantern Books, 2004); and 3) his latest book in 2007, The Longest Struggle: Animal Advocacy from Pythagoras to PETA (also published by Lantern Books, 2007).
Norm Phelps lives in Funkstown, Maryland, USA, with his wife, Patti Rogers, and their family of rescued cats.

[i] Masri, Experimentation, pg. 171.

[ii] Masri, Experimentation, pg. 171.

[iii] Masri, Experimentation, pp. 171-172, 186-187.

[iv] Masri, Experimentation, pp. 172-175.

[v] The Koran, pg. 96. (Surah 6:38)

[vi] The Koran, pg. 156 (Surah 11:6)

[vii] The Koran, pg. 250. (Surah 21:41)

[viii] Quoted in Masri, Experimentation, pg. 177. The 114 major divisions of the Quran, each representing a separate revelation by the angel, are called “suwar,” (plural; the singular is “surah”), an Arabic word that simply means “chapters.” The word “Surah” (capitalized) is typically used in English when referring to a chapter of the Quran.

[ix] The Koran, pg. 312 (Surah 36:70)

[x] The Koran, pp. 333-334 (Surah 40:79, 80)

[xi] The Koran, pg. 193, (Surah 16:80)

[xii] Quoted in Siddiqi, pg. 40.

[xiii] The Koran, pg. 161. (Surah 11:64)

[xiv] Masri, Experimentation, pg. 184. The late Al-Hafiz Basher Ahmad Masri was the Saudi born Sunni imam (pastor) of a mosque in York, England. The title “Al-Hafiz” indicates that he had committed the entire Quran (in Arabic) to memory.

[xv] Masri, Animals, Section Four. There are several collections of ahadith, but the two most important are by Muhammad al-Bukhari (c. 810-870), cited as “Bukhari”; and by Abul Hussein Muslim al-Nisaburi (c. 810-870), cited as “Muslim”. “Awn” refers to a modern book of commentaries on the ahadith, entitled Awn al-Mabood by Shams-ul-Haq Azeemabadi (1857-1911). “Guillaume” refers to The Traditions of Islam: An Introduction to the Study of Hadith by Alfred Guillaume (1888-1965).
[xvi] Masri, Animals, Section Four.

[xvii] Masri, Animals, Section Four.

[xviii] Masri, Animals, Section Four.

[xix] Masri, Animals, Section Four.

[xx] Masri, Animals, Section Four.

[xxi] Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi, past president of the Islamic Society of North America, on the worldwide web at http://www.islamicconcern.com/fatwas.asp.

[xxii] Sheik M. S. Al-Munajjid, a leading Saudi scholar and authority on Islamic law and custom, on the worldwide web at http://www.islamicconcern.com/fatwas.asp.

[xxiii] Sweden and Switzerland have no religious slaughter exemption, and require all animals to be stunned before they are killed. In England, Muslim religious authorities have determined that electric stunning does not violate the requirement that the animal be conscious because a stunned animal who was not subsequently slaughtered would regain consciousness. Estimates are that 90% of animals killed by Muslim ritual slaughter in England are stunned. A number of Muslim authorities elsewhere have made the same determination, but tradition dies hard.

[xxiv] The Koran, pg. 90. (Surah 5:97) The Ka’bah is a small, square, very ancient building in Mecca that is the holiest place in Islam. To see it, which is forbidden to non-Muslims on pain of death, is the object of the Hajj. The Sacred House is the mosque. The Sacred Month is Ramadan, which commemorates the giving of the Quran. Traditionally, in Islam, an animal about to be killed for a sacrifice has a garland hung about his neck (Siddiqi, pg. 25).

[xxv] The Koran, pg. 433. (Surah 108:2)

[xxvi] Quoted in Siddiqi, pg. 16.

[xxvii] Pronounced roughly EED ahl ah-dah. Not to be confused with Eid-al-Fitr, the feast commemorating the end of the holy month of Ramadan. There is no religious sacrifice in connection with Eid-al-Fitr.

[xxviii] Awad.

[xxix] Siddiqi, pg. 28.

[xxx] In the interests of fairness, and to put things in perspective, in the United States alone, more than 27,000,000 animals are killed every single day, seven days a week, for food, leather, and fur. These animals are also children.

[xxxi] Surah 37:102-108. Ismail (Ishmael) is honored as the patriarch of the Arabian people. In the Bible, a similar story is told in Genesis 22, but here Abraham’s other son, Isaac, the patriarch of the Jewish people, is nearly sacrificed by his father.

[xxxii] The Koran, pg. 237. (Surah 22:37)

[xxxiii] Siddiqi, pg. 3.
[xxxiv] There have been persistent, but unconfirmed, reports that priests have conducted animal sacrifice in Catholic churches in Africa as a way of adapting to local “cultural norms.” In 2000, South African Roman Catholic Archbishop Buti Tlhagale raised the issue publicly. "Even sophisticated black Christians slaughter animals as part of their tradition of communing with their ancestors at important occasions in their lives. Is there a way to integrate this custom with their Christian belief as a step towards meaningful inculturation?" (Pulford)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Animal Sarifce in Pakistan

Qurbani (Animal Sacrifice to Please God)

What you are about to see may turn your stomach. But it is not any worse than what happens to animals on factory farms, right here in the USA.

There is one difference, however: In the US, this degree of animal abuse takes place behind closed doors, away from the public eye, because such acts are considered shameful and disgust the public.

Not so in Pakistan. There, no one feels ashamed, because they believe they are carrying out God's will.

Qurbani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=674EHVCxOsw&feature=related

Camel Qurbani 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtt-bedEeu8&feature=related

Karachi camel qurbani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBMMQcx3324&NR=1

Camel qurbani at Nazimabadi#2 Part 1 (Bakra Eid 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIH_MWczQk&NR=1

Camel qurbani in Azizabad 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qUGddD-KtA&NR=1

Nahar (Camel Qurbani)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN57lWux_8Y&NR=1

Camel Qurbani Nahr At F B Area Block 4,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfLgC0euS8c&feature=related

Qurbani in Karachi 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ea1lkSGZcw&feature=related

Amazing Black Bull qurbani 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH-4l4dJ-P8&feature=related

Amazing Black Bull qurbani 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btBh1iliDsM&NR=1

Nazimabad.3gp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_QpreLopZk

"The flesh does not reach Allah, nor does their blood,

BUT THE PIETY from you reaches Him"
(The Quran - Al-Haj-V-37).

BUT THE PIETY, is precisely what is missing from the scene, and nowhere to be found on the streets of Karachi or anywhere else in Pakistan. There hardly seems to be a shred of piety or spirituality among the participants who in their mind are trying to please God.
What is apparent that the ritual has devolved into an orgy of sadistic animal slaughter, an excuse for the display of our primitive bloodlust. This is the very opposite of Hazrat Ibrahim's humble “sacrifice…..” ------ Syed Rizvi

http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleComments.aspx?ArticleID=2148&fss=5488,5487,5477,5462,5456

AND SOME FINAL WORDS

Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others.
Why should man then expect mercy from God?
It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give...
I'm not against organized religion, but I don't take part in it.
Especially when they interpret their religious books as being in favor of meat-eating.
Sometimes they say He wants sacrifice and the killing of animals.
If this is true, then I would never be able to comply.
But I think God is wiser and more merciful than that.

(Isaac Bashevis Singer, Noble Laureate)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Isaac Bashevis Singer - Man prays for mercy, but ......

Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others.

Why should man then expect mercy from God?

It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give...

I'm not against organized religion, but I don't take part in it.

Especially when they interpret their religious books as being in favor of meat-eating.

Sometimes they say He wants sacrifice and the killing of animals.

If this is true, then I would never be able to comply.

But I think God is wiser and more merciful than that.

(Isaac Bashevis Singer)

Monday, December 7, 2009

FASCISM

Early Warning Signs of Fascism

POWERFUL AND CONTINUING NATIONALISM

DISDAIN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

IDENTIFICATION OF ENEMIES AS A UNIFYING CAUSE

SUPREMACY OF THE MILITARY

RAMPANT SEXISM

CONTROLLED MASS MEDIA

OBSESSION WITH NATIONAL SECURITY

RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT INTERTWINED

CORPORATE POWER PROTECTED

LABOR POWER SUPPRESSED

DISTAIN FOR INTELLECTUALS & THE ARTS

OBSESSION WITH CRIME & PUNISHMENT

RAMPANT CRONYISM & CORRUPTION

FRAUDULENT ELECTIONS

Author: Laurence W. Britt.
www.syrculturalworkres.com

Sunday, December 6, 2009

The Hypocrisy of "Peace on Earth"

The Hypocrisy of "Peace on Earth"

http://www.all-creatures.org/sermons98/s20091206.html

Isn't man an amazing animal?

He kills wildlife - birds, kangaroos, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice, foxes and dingoes - by the million in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed.

Then he kills domestic animals by the billion and eats them.

This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative - and fatal - health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer.

So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals.

Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year sends out cards praying for Peace on Earth.

Authort: David Coats

Monday, November 30, 2009

Large boxes (4); 16 x 13 x 13 in. 30 lbs. each

Medium boxes (8) 15.5 x 10 x 12.5 in; 40 1bs. each

Small boxes (14); 12 x 9 x 9 in; 30 lbs. each

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Safran Foer

You know that chicken?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/books/20book.html?_r=1

For Foer, Meat Is Murder ... And Worse
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114298495

Safran Foer

For Foer, Meat Is Murder ... And Worse

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114298495

eating and killing animals
http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/jonathan_safran_foer_and_eating_and_killing_animals

Neal Barnard, MD.

Neal Barnard, MD.
www.pcrm.org

John McDougall MD

John McDougall MD
http://www.drmcdougall.com

Thomas Edison on Food and Medicine

Thomas Edison on Food and Medicine:

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." Thomas A. Edison

Michael Klaper MD Lecture Parts 1 to 6 and more

Michael Klaper MD Part 1 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_tn3KAXNE&feature=related

Michael Klaper MD Part 2 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibp1jCjojdo&feature=related

Michael Klaper MD Part 3 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL3C2veCU6k&feature=related

Michael Klaper Part 4 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL3C2veCU6k&feature=related

Michael Klaper Part 5 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1A4IaQ8y7Q&feature=related

Michael Klaper Part 6 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffH4jC01gyM&feature=related

Michael Klaper- an interview in Sydney, Australia 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zz_3lNvLKM&feature=related

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Michael Jackson

Here's a link to the video that has been copied and pasted the lyrics into this email. This is just an example of what his music is about, especially indicative of the songs he continued to write in the years that followed.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBos1XjcDg0 (unlike other musicians, Michael was the first musical artist to use a music video for a cause, meaning, not showing himself or his band or anything about him--the music video was completely devoted to getting the point across to his fans and anyone willing to watch that something needs to be done. I haven't seen videos of his latest work but i can only assume they're similar, paricticularly when a song he wrote is intended to make a point. Anyway...hopefully you enjoy this. This is one of my favorite pieces from him).

Lyrics:

Ooh ooh ooh aahGotta make a changeFor once in my lifeIt's gonna feel real goodGonna make a differenceGonna make it rightAs I turned up the collar onA favorite winter coatThis wind is blowin' my mindI see the kids in the streetWith not enough to eatWho am I to be blindPretending not to see their needsA summer's disregardA broken bottle topAnd a one man's soulThey follow each otherOn the wind ya' know'Cause they got nowhere to goThat's why I want you to knowI'm starting with the man in the mirrorI'm asking him to change his waysAnd no message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself and then make a change, yeyNa na na, na na na, na na na na oh hoI've been a victim ofA selfish kinda loveIt's time that I realizeThere are some with no homeNot a nickel to loanCould it be really pretending that they're not aloneA willow deeply scarredSomebody's broken heartAnd a washed out dream(Washed out dream)They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see'Cause they got no place to beThat's why I'm starting with meI'm starting with the man in the mirrorI'm asking him to change his waysAnd no message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself and then make a changeI'm starting with the man in the mirrorI'm asking him to change his waysAnd no message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself and then make that changeI'm starting with the man in the mirror(Man in the mirror, oh yeah)I'm asking him to change his ways, yeah(Change)No message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself and then make the changeYou gotta get it right, while you got the time'Cause when you close your heart(You can't close your, your mind)Then you close your mind(That man, that man, that man)(That man, that man, that man)(With the man in the mirror, oh yeah)(That man you know, that man you know)(That man you know, that man you know)I'm asking him to change his ways(Change)No message could have been any clearerIf you wanna make the world a better placeTake a look at yourself then make that change(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)OohOh yeahYeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)Oh noOh no, I'm gonna make a changeIt's gonna feel real goodSure mon(Change)Just lift yourselfYou know, you got to stop it yourself(Yeah)OhMake that change(I gotta make that change today, oh)(Man in the mirror)You got to, you got to not let yourself, brother ohYeahYou know that(Make that change)(I gotta make that make me then make)You got, you got to moveSure mon, sure monYou got to(Stand up, stand up, stand up)Make that changeStand up and lift yourself, now(Man in the mirror)Make that change(Gonna make that change, sure mon)(Man in the mirror)You know it, you know it, you know it, you know(Change)Make that change

Friday, October 30, 2009

K]

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Animal Rights

Tom Regan in Athens

Tom Regan in Greece -- Part 1
http://www.solon.org.gr/index.php/filozoia/117-2008-07-31-21-12-28/1161-regan-20-lepta.html

Al-Maari
http://www.humanistictexts.org/al_ma

India bans the use of elephants in zoos and circuses.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Animal Sensitivity

Chimpanzees' grief caught on camera in Cameroon

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6444909/Chimpanzees-grief-caught-on-camera-in-Cameroon.html

Monday, October 26, 2009

Veggies Links and Aricles

Lab grown meat-- Ari Levux
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/143887

Thomas A. Edison on Food and Medicine
http://rizvisite.blogspot.com/2009/11/thomas-edison-on-food-and-medicine.html

John McDougall, MD
http://rizvisite.blogspot.com/2009/11/john-mcdougall-md.html

Neal Barnard, MD
http://rizvisite.blogspot.com/2009/11/neal-barnard-md.html

Michael Klaper,MD. Lectures and Interview
http://rizvisite.blogspot.com/2009/11/michael-klaper-md-lecture-parts-1-to-6.html

Forbes Magazine (Nov. 2009) Animal Farming is an ecological disaster.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1130/thought-leaders-mcdonalds-global-warming-drop-that-burger.html

Eating animals is making us sick
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/opinion.jonathan.foer/index.html

Why don't I drink milk?
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2515

Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6891362.ece

Make meat-eaters pay: Peter Singe proposes radical tax
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/10/25/2009-10-25_make_meateaters_pay_ethicist_proposes_radical_tax_says_theyre_killing_themselves.html
World Watch Institute Nov-Dec 2009 on Climate Change
Cows, pigs, and chicken: the key actors in the climates change
http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf

Meet Your Meat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4

Earthlings
http://rizvisite.blogspot.com/2009/10/earthlings-movie.html

Sunday, October 25, 2009

My Diner with Andre (my most favorite film)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Khamosh Pani -another progressive film from Pakistan

Khamosh Pani -another progressive film from Pakistan

This movie focuses on start of fundamentalism in Pakistan by General Zia ul Haq. Directed by Sabiah Sumar, Starring Kirron Kher, Amir Ali Malik, Shilpa Shukla, Fareeha Jabeen, Salman Shahid, Khursh

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpRVKuEf19g

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjnl2RfyzVE&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v27-TItKwl8&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDTbY3BjZNw&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZntUg70MM&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlPNNg754Dk&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs_WYLUHL2w&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alGQLu2ksLg&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAIMlJ-JYYY&feature=related

Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) Part 10 (Last)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cim3n3cjQc&feature=related

The End

Khuda Ke Liye -a very progressive film from Pakistan

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Genius of Charles Darwin

Kuttay - Poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Kuttay - Poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEbUvlaf-Ag&feature=related

Nine Hours to Rama - A film about Gandhi (1961)

Anna Balzer - Life in Occupied Palestine (Parts 1-6)

A

http://annainpalestine.blogspot.com/2005/04/reflections-on-zionism.html

Life In Occupied Palestine (1 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGO9wToP7D4&feature=related

Life In Occupied Palestine (2 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T52xQg7Eiw8&feature=related

Life In Occupied Palestine (3 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6NwbrmQUw&feature=related

Life In Occupied Palestine (4 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGnmH3dtbxE&feature=related

Life In Occupied Palestine (5 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAJRJjI9zcY&feature=related

Life In Occupied Palestine (6 of 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcaHX9plCKI&feature=fvw

Khamosh Pani (Silent Water) A Pakistani Film

Dawkins- Viruses of the mind

Dawkins- Viruses of the mind
http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Dawkins/viruses-of-the-mind.html

Earthlings - A Movie

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Al-Hafiz BA Masri's letter to Syed Rizvi Oct.1991

Gul Agha's review on Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri's book

A book-review written by Gul Agha and published in the Animals’ Agenda Magazine , 1987

ISLAMIC CONCERN FOR ANIMALS Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri The Athene Trust, 3A Charles Street Petersfield, Hants, England GU32 3EH, published (simultaneously in English and Arabic) 1987
This book, written by a fundamentalist Islamic theologian, examines the issue of animal rights from an Islamic perspective. The author has the right credentials to write a book of this nature: Masri served, until his retirement in 1968, as the Imam (religious head) of a large mosque and Islamic center in England. Incidentally, the title Al-Hafiz means that he has memorized the entire Holy Qur'an.
The book intermingles a factual account of animal suffering with religious injunctions against it. The first chapters lay out the theoretical foundations in terms of Islamic teaching on the relationship between humans and (other) animals. The later chapters apply these principles to specific areas such as vivisection, factory farming, and hunting.
Quoting from the Holy Qur'an Al-Hafiz Masri begins with the assertion that ``Man is the apex of creation.'' Following his fundamentalist beliefs, he argues that this is true because of the `psychical potential' in man---namely, the ability to differentiate between good and evil. Masri then states that Man is God's vicegerent on earth. Thus man's claim of superiority over the other species is circumscribed by moral limitations in the exercise of his power. As the holy puts it: ``Certainly, We created man in the best make. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low.''
The Islamic view is that unless a human follows the `path of righteousness', his moral status is degraded even lower than that of the animals. ``Verily, the vilest of all creatures ... are those who do not use their rationality.'' In the Qur'anic world-view, ``All creatures are like a family of God: and He most loves those who are the most beneficient to His family.''
This notion of family is elaborated upon by many examples. The animals and humans are supposed to worship the same God: as the Holy book puts it, all beings celebrate Allah, every bird sings its prayer and psalm to Allah. In fact, God even communicates directly to the animals. ``And the Lord revealed to the bee, saying: `make hives in the mountains, and in the trees, and in [human] habitations'.'' It is important to realize that the Hafiz, like most Islamic theologians, is a literalist. The book contains a number of anecdotes from the Hadith (a body of literature describing the life and teachings of the Prophet) which is distinct from the revelations in the Holy book. One incident described by the Prophet relates to what happened to another prophet in ancient history. This prophet was stung by an ant and ordered the ants' nest to be burned. At this God is supposed to have reprimanded the prophet, ``Because one ant stung you, you have burned a whole community which glorified Me.'' Fortunately for the animals, I suppose, salvation in Islam is by deed, not creed.
Masri then proceeds to examine in some detail the treatment of animals in modern society and argues that it is against Islamic law. He strengthens his argument by making analogies to the specific injunctions laid out by the Prophet of Islam, for example, one against killing animals for pleasure, another against branding. Sometimes, in order to apply a specific injunction to a modern problem, the Hafiz uses analogy and inference. He concedes that the use of interpretation has been been historically controversial in Islamic jurisprudence since it allows self-serving liberties with the spirit and intent of the original law. (Shades of the Robert Bork controversy). However, Masri defends the use of analogical reasoning because the results are obviously not self-serving, and furthermore, they conform to general Islamic principles.
The Hafiz's general conclusions can be summarized as follows. Forbidden on religious grounds: hunting (for pleasure); furs for vanity; intensive factory farming; slaughterhouses (the slaughter of an animal in the presence of another or in circumstances where it may anticipate its death is proscribed); circuses and rodeos; inhumane transportation; disturbing wildlife habitats or otherwise interfering with the ecological balance; experimenting on animals for commercial profit, `idle' curiosity, or to find cures for preventable diseases; and genetically engineering animals. Masri makes note of the issue of vegetarianism but states that it is too involved a question to discuss in the current context. What is the significance of this book? First of all it is important to realize that Islamic fundamentalism is a rising force in a large portion of the world. Even more critically, there are no accepted sects in the Islamic world that reject fundamentalism. (Sufism, often regarded as a heresy, being a notable exception). The open question remains: what impact can a well-written book such as this one have on the societies undergoing radical upheavel? And let us not forget, the small but influential Black Muslim community in this country.
Unfortunately, I am rather pessimistic---notwithstanding a contentious Imam Khomeini who sometimes preaches against consuming meat. It is my assessment that believers often settle for ritual over personal sacrifice. Thus a method of `kosher' slaughter, which was supposed to be more humane, has resulted in the mass shipping of live animals to Islamic countries by the West (especially by Australia and New Zealand). En route, these animals suffer from hunger and thirst, crowding, lack of movement, and heat exhaustion from a scorching sun (as a consequence, there is a significant mortality rate).
On the other hand, I think it would be unwise to ignore the belief structures of others, particularly when these beliefs provide a rationale for reducing animal suffering to such an extent. We have to be cautious that we do not ourselves develop an intolerant attitude that recognizes only one `Truth' and seeks to impose it on the rest of the universe. At least for me personally, converting people to an idea is less important than modifying their behavior. If their own beliefs can provide a basis for change, the task becomes so much more realistic.
---Gul Agha, Ph.D. New Haven 1987. The reviewer is a scientist at Yale University and President of the Cambridge Committee for Responsible Research.

The following notes are from Syed Rizvi: (October 2009):
Currently, Gul Agha is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago Champaign-Urbana.
The Animals’ Agenda Magazine, where the above article first appeared, used to be published by the Animal Rights Network (ARN) established in 1979. ARN later was transformed into a think tank, Animals and Society Institute (ASI). The institute publishes position papers on animal issues and the publication of the magazine is now discontinued. More on the institute can be found on its web site http://www.animalsandsociety.org

End of note