BaKhabar, November 2011, Page-7

better light a candle than curse the darkness

BaKhabar, Vol 4, Issue 11, November 2011

Why millions of animals are “needlessly slaughtered in the name of God during Bakra-Eid?”

By Asrarul Haque <asrarulhaque@hotmail.com>

Question from a non-Muslim: What about the millions of animals that are needlessly slaughtered in the name of God during Bakri-Id? When God permitted Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son, he did not ask all people to do this every year. Why can it not be changed in more civilized times?
Answer (Better to call it Explanation): First of all your saying “needlessly” is not correct. It is not that the animals are sacrificed just for fun or the meat is wasted. The meat is consumed. So it cannot be called needlessly? Everyday so many animals are slaughtered or killed for use as food. Is there any difference between daily slaughter/killing and slaughter on Idul Azha (Baqraeid in India)? I think there is no difference as far as slaughtering or animal life is concerned. On day to day basis animals are used as food and on Baqraeid also it is used as food. But there is a big difference in purpose between the two. On normal days the animals are slaughtered/killed for profit. On Baqraeid there is no motive of profit. In fact only those who nurture the animals get profit. You may be aware that thousands of families survive on the profession.
In the market at present the mutton is about Rs 250 to 300 per kg. Even if one wants to buy 200 g, the cost will be Rs 50/60. A family which earns Rs 100 in a day cannot afford that. On the occasion of Baqraeid they get the meat as charity and they can enjoy the luxury for at least during the three days of Baqraeid when animals are sacrificed by Muslims.
I am quoting few verses from the Qur’an in this connection.
To every people did we appoint rites of sacrifice that they may celebrate the name of God over the sustenance He gave them from animals fit for food. 22: 34
To those whose hearts when God is mentioned are filled with fear who show patient perseverance over their afflictions, keep up regular prayer, and spend in charity out of what We have bestowed upon them. 22:35
The sacrificial camels We have made for you as among the Symbols from God: in them is much good for you. Then pronounce the name of God over them as they line up for sacrifice. When they are down on their sides after slaughter, eat ye thereof, and feed such as beg not but live in contentment and such as beg with due humility. Thus have We made animals subject to you, that ye may be grateful. 22: 36

It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches God. It is your piety that reaches Him. He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify God for His guidance to you. And proclaim the Good News to all who do right. 22: 37
From the above it is clear that God does not get anything when animals are sacrificed. It is actually the piety of people which is tested. In the verse 22: 36 it is clear that the meat of the sacrificed animals is not only for those who perform the sacrifice. It is also for the poor. In fact the suggested and preferred practice is that the meat is divided into three parts. One part is kept for the consumption of the family which performs the sacrifice. One part is for relatives and friends, especially those who are not in a position to do the sacrifice. The purpose is that they too get opportunity to enjoy the delicacy. Otherwise it will happen so that family X will give to family Y and Y will also give to X. The end result, no one will give to anyone. The third part is strictly for poor but not for professional beggars (see above the verse 22: 36). That is how the poor get the meat at least on those three days when sacrifice is done. In the second and third parts i.e. for friends/relatives and for poor there is no restriction that it can be given to only Muslims.
Now the question is why on the occasion of Baqraeid only there is so much talk about the sacrifice and animals. Reason is our media and also some irresponsible Muslims contribute to that. Everyday so many animals are killed/slaughtered. But media does not show them and does not talk about them. On the occasion of Baqraeid they never miss the opportunity just because it is fanciful and more so because it is connected to Muslim community. On Dussehra, Sarhul, Holi and so many other occasions and also in so many temples on normal days large numbers of animals are killed by non-Muslims. But there is no news. Then there are some ‘Muslims’ who are interested in showing off their wealth. They purchase goats for very exorbitant price and then they stand with them, get photographed and give interviews for newspapers and TV channels. So it becomes more fanciful news for the media. In fact it is totally against the teachings of Islam. Islam totally prohibits showing off in anything. Even in Namaaz if someone does the Namaaz in a way that people may look at him/her, the Namaaz is not acceptable to God. In case of charity too it is best that it should not be made public.

The best suggested course is that if the right hand gives, the left hand should not come to know of the same. Obviously, people who indulge in such show of wealth are not performing sacrifice. They want name and fame. The purpose is defeated.
One last aspect. Some people say that why cannot Muslims give up eating meat? The answer is simple. Are there only Muslims who eat meat? If you go by statistics more than 95% of the meat worldwide is consumed by non-Muslims. Even in India most of the meat and chicken are consumed by non-Muslims. Generally, Muslims are poor compared to other communities. Most of them cannot afford something which is Rs 250/300 per kg. A random visit to a meat/chicken shop can bring out the point. Even in restaurants and other eating places most of the non-veg food is consumed by non-Muslims. Muslims generally visit only those eateries about which they are aware that only Halaal meat is served i.e. meat or chicken etc. which are slaughtered by Islamic or Jewish method. There are more restaurants and eateries serving non-veg food about which such information is not available. As a result most Muslims shun from those places. Then who consumes the non-veg food there?
Certainly there is one interesting side of it. In so many families I personally know, meat is not cooked at home. But male members enjoy the same freely outside. Female members are denied in the name of religion/ritual/tradition etc. In Muslim families there is nothing like that. There is still another point. If eating meat is not good as animals or birds are to be killed, should we eat only plants and plant products? But plants are also living. You are an environmentalist. You know it well. And we have to kill the plants to be consumed. For that matter even milk should not be consumed. Nature produces the milk for the young animals. But what we do? We encroach upon their food and in turn we force them to eat grass or straw. Is it humane? Can we do it with human babies? But it does happen. It may not surprise you. In certain tribal belts there is so much poverty that lactating women sell their milk by mixing the same with cow or buffalo milk just to get some money. Also, it has been an age old tradition that when women in rich families gave birth to babies, they did not feed them as the women had the idea (wrong or right) that by breast feeding their body will go out of shape. So, some poor woman was found with newly born child. She was paid to feed the baby of the rich family. As a result her own child was deprived of the mother’s milk. Can we consider it humane? Just one more example. The eggs that we relish are meant for reproduction of the birds (hens or ducks in Indian context) as they contain the zygotes i.e. miniature birds. But we grab them and consume. An interesting side of it is that the hens are kept in cages without cocks. As a result the expense which could be there in nurturing the cocks is saved. But at what cost? By forcing the hens to live without sex. We know it very well that all living organisms want sex. When we force celibacy on the hens, can we consider it humane? But it gives one more consolation to our ego. People consider such eggs as ‘Vegetarian Eggs”. So, even those people who do not consume non-veg food otherwise do not hesitate to eat those eggs.
I would also like to draw your attention towards the case of tigers, leopards, cheetahs and for that matter most of the birds, lizards, snakes, spiders etc. They kill other animals big or small and eat. Even the cat we keep so dear is always looking for opportunity to kill a rat, mouse or squirrel. Dogs also kill and eat if they get a chance. That is the rule of nature. Can we make them vegetarian? If we want to stop killing of all animals, we have to eliminate all these preying species. Then what about the food chain and the ecosystem balance? The importance of these preying animals cannot be overemphasized in maintaining the balance in the ecosystems. You may be aware that the Andaman forests, where spotted deer population has become a threat to the survival of the forests just because there are no preying carnivores. Also, we must desist from killing flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, snakes and all sorts of pests. After all these are also living organisms.