Let's stop animal sacrifice!

Animal sacrifice is a worldwide phenomenon, practiced by countless faiths for a variety of reasons. In some cases, such as with Islam and Judaism, animal sacrifice is performed because certain guidelines must be followed and certain prayers must be recited in order for meat to be fit for human consumption.

In other instances, such as with Hinduism ritual specialists offer the life-blood of animals in reverence of spirits or deities. These sacrifices frequently take place at annual festivals, where they are merely one component of a host of festivities that can last for days or even weeks.

We should stop animal sacrifices which are still being continued in the name of religion. People don’t know why they are killing an innocent animal in the name of sacrifice. But it’s just their ritual and it’s just one of the main factors in the celebration of some festivals.

Some Hindus sacrifice goats, buffaloes, calves and chickens at temples as an offering to their deities. Muslims celebrate the three-day Eid-al-Adha and sacrifice animals (qurbani) on the day to honour Ibrahim’s spirit of sacrifice. It’s also mandatory to share the meat of the sacrificed animal, in three equal parts –for yourself, for family and friends, and for the poor. Not only Muslims & Hindus, some Buddhists are also involved with animal sacrifice activities. There is a belief regarding married women who are not yet pregnant because they are being a victim of the black prince ('Kalu Kumaraya'). So, people who are doing 'Bali Puja' and ' Thovil' order to sacrifice chicken to overcome the impact of the black prince.

All religions call for compassion, no religion requires killing or eating animals, and hacking animals to death with weapons is just plain cruel. Animal sacrifice is also bad for everyone. It normalizes killing and desensitizes children to violence against animals. We can hear and see lots of controversies and legal acts about animal sacrifices but we can't assure them, in some cases the impact of them are less powerful to stop these activities. So if you hear about an animal sacrifice being planned, talk to those who are responsible about how cruel animal sacrifice is and what the strict legal requirements are. Try to persuade them to celebrate the occasion in animal-friendly ways. If you witness any cruel or illegal sacrifices of animals, please report them to the police helpline number or nearest animal welfare group.

Every year thousands of animals meet their dark destiny in the name of a religious ceremony which is actually an insane practice by human beings. Humans give religions rights, religion does not determine anybody else's right, whether human or animal. We all respect religious beliefs and traditions but condemn any practice that causes animal suffering in the name of religion or tradition. Activities undertaken for religious purposes that involve animals must comply with applicable cruelty laws before, during and following the ritual. Suspected cruelty should be reported to law enforcement. Let's stop animal sacrifice in the name of religion.

Written By: Rtr. Chamika Nilakshi