In this booklet, sponsored by Animal People and endorsed by Al-Azhar University, Dr. Kristen Stilt shows the amazing range of animal welfare and protection required by Islamic law, and asks Muslims to follow the rules of animal welfare that the religion requires.
On September 12th, Muslims around the world will celebrate the Eid al Adha by ritually slaughtering animals. But is animal sacrifice actually required by Islam? A number of Muslim scholars argue that ritual slaughter as practiced today is unnecessary and possibly even haram (forbidden).
Sheikh Muhammad Sayed Tantawi’s 2008 fatwa, or Islamic legal ruling, states unequivocally that cruelty to animals during transport or slaughter is haram (forbidden) under Islamic law. Animal People here offers the fatwa as a resource for Muslim practitioners, animal activists, scholars, and the general public.
Confucius taught that a noble person should not abandon morality for the space of a single meal. From his time 2500 years ago until the present day, one question has loomed especially large over the Chinese dinner table: is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?
Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot has been sentenced to three years in prison for “insulting Islam” by criticizing the Eid al-Adha animal sacrifice. Yet there are many devout Muslims who argue against the Eid slaughter as contrary to their religion’s true values.
Animal People executive director Wolf Clifton is currently visiting animal projects in Indonesia, prior to the Asia for Animals 2015 conference in Kuching, Malaysia. Highlights so far include: the aftermath of the Eid al-Adha, dogs and monkeys in Jakarta, and big wins for animals in Indonesian politics!
For some Abolitionists, all campaigns focusing on particular animals – in this case chickens used for Kaporos – frustrate the ultimate, worldwide goal of Abolition, Animal Rights, and Veganism. My organization, United Poultry Concerns, promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. This makes us a “single issue” or “single class of animals” organization. Does our focus on chickens and turkeys hamper efforts to liberate all animals from all forms of oppression everywhere on the planet?
Large numbers of volunteers from Indian animal welfare groups arrived to assist the Border Patrol in spotting people trying to take animals to Nepal.
…the temple authorities of Gadhimai Temple made the announcement that the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of animals, held every five years, would be permanently canceled. The world’s largest animal sacrifice had finally come to an end.
Animal People takes a retrospective look at one of the founding documents of the animal rights movement
Gadhimai and many other animal sacrifices are performed to Hindu deities across Asia, but such cruel and violent acts defile the true spirit of the religion.