If I were looking for 90 camels in South Africa?

Written by on November 4, 2011 in News

source: mercury – not reflective of the real story.

what would I do, if  I was asked to look 90 camels for a religious slaughtering in South Africa especially in small area in KZN?
What I would do?

  • I would do my research properly about the ritual itself
  • I would find out  about the  legality of the rituals going to be performed.
  • I would contact the nearest religious authority that is suppose to be doing this slaughtering and ask them all the relevant questions,
  • I would contact the government departments like agriculture, health to find out if they know anything about camels in the country.
  • I would take helicopter and fly around the area? 90 camels would be very difficult to hide.
  • I would take a picture of a camel and drive around the area and ask the locals have you seen 90 of these guyz.
  • I would go to all the places of worship and ask them questions there

Camel slaughtering in South Africa is very rare. I only know of camel slaughtering done last year in Johannesburg for the first  time in my life. When cows are slaughtered it is a big thing.  Believe me if camels were being slaughtered it would be no secret. A camel costs about R22 000 and if 90 camels were being slaughtered that is about R2 million rand worth of camels. The person that can afford to slaughter 90 camels will be parading them on the streets of South Africa and not hiding them away. Camel slaughtering are done predominantly in areas where you find camels in the middle east only where camel meat is similar to how we eat sheep, cow or chicken. These days it is so unaffordable to slaughter one sheep as prices inflate to almost R1800 and most are sending their funds to places like Somalia and India for slaughtering. I doubt many camels will be slaughtered in this region.

What I wouldn’t do?

  • I wouldn’t  start a discussion about religious practises I am not clued up about.
  • I wouldn’t make judgements about other religious practises.
  • I wouldn’t  allow hate speech to a persons religion on “MY”  page.
  • I would verify information I get from internet .

The request to look for animals may have started innocently but  discussions on this matter clearly crossed the line. Even the most patient tolerant of us all, felt offended by the insults and name calling. What most found offensive were the ugly names that were being used and it made anyone performing a legal religious ritual slaughtering feel like they were committing a criminal offense.  Only after members of the religion that were being insulted approached the page  to discuss this derogatory matter further , did active moderation start. It was allowed to insult other religions clearly but the line was drawn when statements were contrary to the administration of the page.

Although the act was noble to save animals  in the same breath over 1 billion hearts were insulted. They were  called ugly names for  performing a legal religious ritual to follow what God has ordered them to do. Personally I don’t think insulting others religion is very civilised.

Contrary to popular belief  this slaughtering is not done for sport, trophy or fun. It is done to commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham. Each animal slaughtered are shared amongst the person slaughtering, relatives and the poor. Let us do some math. if 1 billion people are slaughtering an animal, 1/3 of that is going to the poor. How many hungry mouths will be fed ? about 33 million poor families. Insulting groups slaughtering animals  in this country is also insulting the president of this country who also performs  ritual slaughtering.

click on link to find out Eid ul Adha and Hajj and why Muslims slaughter animals during this time of the year.

In this country there is freedom of speech but there are limits especially if remarks are offensive and derogatory to others religious practises . You don’t have to agree with other practises,  if you disagree,  do it in a respectful manner. I don’t agree with lots of things happening in the world and this country. Respect and Tolerance is key.

What people must understand that social media is a reality and not a play thing. What you  say can be held against you, so watch what you say. Even these social media platforms come with policies against hate speech.  Lots of celebrities have landed in some hot water for the odd tweet. Did you know some employers look first at your facebook profile when hiring a person these days.

If camels are being brought into the country illegaly , illtreated and are not adhering to the regulations, the person performing any atrocities to animals illegally  should be brought to book. If I found I knew there was ill treatment of animals happening, I would be the first to call crime line. we are encouraged to care for animals. and the Prophet(SAW) said – “One who kills even a sparrow or anything smaller, without a justifiable reason, will be answerable to God.” When asked what would be a justifiable reason, he (the Prophet) replied, “To slaughter it for food—not to kill and discard it” (Ahmad).

When something is done according to the law then nothing can be done by anyone but observe.  This is part of the constitution which allows religious freedom. When animals are being slaughtered for religious or ritual purposes, the group slaughtering should ensure the slaughtering is painless as possible. Remember  there are certain religious requirements that need to be adhered to for the sacrifice to be halaal and valid. recommendations made  from other 3rd parties need to be aligned to these prerequisites as well. here is an assessment on method of  halaal slaughtering  When it comes to stunning of animals. it can be very risky.
It is forbidden to eat the meat of an animal, which has died before being slaughtered (by any kind of stunning, strangulation – chemical or physical -, a blow to the head -concussion or percussion -, or due to a fall etc.) Only meat killed in the Halal (lawful) way is allowed to be consumed (dead meat with all the clotted blood in it is very harmful to health).

ALLAH (s.w.t) says in the Qur’an ‘Forbidden to you (for food) are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine and that over which has been invoked other than the name of ALLAH (s.w.t).

If the animal dies before being slaughtered then the the whole sacrifice will be wasted.

What baffles me still that the perpetrators of hate speech do not even understand the seriousness of their crimes committed and won’t at least acknowledge a mistake was made.  My feelings and over 1 billion feelings don’t matter. I personally was not going to get involved because I find this usually to be a very unproductive discussion. I only came to the wall of discussion when I was encouraged by a member of my like page to educate and explain the situation. Unfortunately it seems no one really was willing to listen and kept on with some remarks. I felt more at peace for having stood up for my rights after that.  To all those that insulted us, from my side I forgive you for all the ugliness for the sake of Allah. I apologise for any offense I may have caused. Life is to short for all this pettiness.

The lessons to be learnt is

  • Hate speech is a crime.
  • Watch what you say on the Internet because it can come back to haunt you.
  •  you may not agree and understand something especially when it comes to the wisdom behind  someone else’s religious practise but respect it and be tolerant. If only everyone in this country just learnt this simple thing. Respect each other and Be tolerant, we will truly live happily ever after.   PEACE !! more info – Help Brad find 90 camels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NSPCA Statement on Eidul Adha

QURBANI (EID-UL-ADHA)
The National Council of SPCAs, on behalf of the SPCA movement in South Africa, extends good wishes to all our citizens of the Islamic faith who will be celebrating or partaking in Qurbani which begins this year on 06 November 2011. This festival is celebrated annually and involves the slaughter or sacrifice of animals for religious reasons. Animals slaughtered would include sheep, goats and cattle.
The NSPCA appeals to the Muslim community: – “In the spirit of Islam, we appeal to all who partake in Qurbani that animals are handled with respect and compassion.”
Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon his soul) taught kindness to animals. His order was for the animal to:
1) be over a certain age and size,
2) have no bruises or defects,
3) be prepared by feeding it and allowing it to drink water,
4) to be petted it as it is laid down,
5) to not be shown the knife,
6) to not be shown the slaughtering of another animal,
7) to have a knife used that is so sharp that it slaughters with one stroke,
8) to be slaughtered at the jugular vein which is proven to issue the least amount of suffering since the animal dies immediately.
The monitoring of Qurbani will take place throughout South Africa by most SPCAs. This includes manner of transportation, handling, holding of the animals plus checking premises and facilities and the actual sacrifice. The NSPCA will have monitoring teams at various sites where sacrificial slaughter will take place.
The SPCA movement encourages pre-stunning of all animals before slaughter and would like to see this become the norm, not the exception. The same standards apply to ALL types of slaughter: – religious, traditional, cultural and tribal.
Appreciation is also expressed for the growing number of Muslims who choose to donate money “in lieu” of a literal sacrifice.
The laws of South Africa do not conflict with the Qur’an.
The NSPCA states that “The Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 applies to all killings of animals: – all religious slaughter, traditional or ceremonial slaughter plus procedures at registered and illegal abattoirs. No single community or religious belief is being or has ever been singled out.”
NOTE: – The media statement above was forwarded in draft form to the Council of Muslim Theologians who advised the NSPCA on 28 October 2011 that “While we find the first 5 paragraphs acceptable, due to the above observations, it is not possible for us to endorse the statement as it stands.

We however look forward to working with you in highlighting the importance of kindness to animals, an aspect which is part and parcel of the good practice of Islam.”

 

Why stunning won’t work

Electrical Stunning
could be to head and brain only or to head and back or to the legs, and there are three varieties:

a. Low Voltage Electrical Stunning by a pair of scissors-like tongs with circular or rectangular electrodes which are usually immersed in a saline solution then applied to the side of the head. Voltage is not less than 75 volts (50 Hz mains frequency) for not less than seven seconds.
Problem and harm with this method include:
It is cruel, by giving an electric shock directly, with no anesthesia;
paralysis while the animal is conscious (pain);
doubt about the effect and feeling of pain;
unreliable: missed shots and re-stunning;
Recovery of the animal usually occurs within 30-40 seconds. Electric stunning only induces paralysis, not unconsciousness, leaving the animal helpless but completely conscious to pain. (E.H. Callow from his book ‘Food Hygiene)
Some scientists and physiologists have expressed serious misgivings; some are of the opinion that the animal is merely paralyzed by the electric current and so prevented from making a sound or a movement while fully conscious and experiences great pain as the current passes through its body. Such views are shared by the following Professors and Scientists:
a) Prof. A.C. Ivey (North Western University of America)
b) Prof. M.J. Hertz, of France
c) Prof. Roos & Koopmans, Holland.
Stunning does not first involve passing an electric current through the animal’s body. The magnitude of the current passed must be adequate; voltage of higher rating could lead to bone fractures. Voltage of lower rating produces electric convulsions without inducing unconsciousness. A lower voltage rating needs longer application and this being a matter of judgment, the human element could lead to failure. The variations in the sizes of animals and their individual resistance to the current are also important considerations.
Let me quote the following petition of Meat Packers in Denmark to the Danish Government:-
“Stunning with electricity causes extravasation in the meat, sanguinary intestines and fractures in the spinal column, pelvis, shoulder blades, through the shock. The blood in the meat makes it more susceptible to putrefaction and has detrimental effect on taste.”
b. High Voltage Electric Stunning by using an electric shock of 300-400 volts, commonly used for pigs and sheep.
Problems and harm with this method:
It is very cruel by giving a high electric shock (electrocution to a conscious animal).
As a doctor, I have been practicing for more than 10 years and giving electric shocks (‘stunning’) (Electro-Convulsive Therapy – ECT) to patients (WITH MENTAL ILLNES) but only after a general anaesthetic. The Medical Council would strike my name from the Register if I should ever dare to give ECT without anaesthesia because it is very cruel to do so. I wonder, is it not cruel to do this to an animal too? Although the voltage used in ECT is smaller than that used for animals, is it not still cruel?
“Electric stunning of calves by the ‘head only’ method is inhumane in all circumstances”. (Blackmore 1982);
Ventricular fibrillation, cardiac inhibition, cardiac disfunction, cardiac arrest and death; “Head to back stunning induced a cardiac arrest in all the sheep”. (Gregory and Wotton, 1984);
Bone-shattering;
Stress: “>From a physiological standpoint, the stunned animal is more highly stressed”. (Althen 1977 quoted by Temple Grandin 1980);
High level of blood splashing in the carcass (Gilbert, Blackmore, and Warrington); “Electric stunning raised the blood pressure by 31/2 times”
Pain and sensation;
I would like to quote, ‘It is difficult to determine the sensitivity of an animal to pain during the first few seconds of stunning while the electric current is applied.’ (FAWC 1984)
I also quote Baldwin 1971 (quoted by Biala 1983): “The question whether the animal is suffering pain during the period of consciousness in not so readily appropriate to objective experimental investigation”.

Islamic criteria of slaughtering – the most painless method


I am sure that you will agree with me that the best method of slaughter should have the following criteria:

  • Allows for draining most of the blood out;
  • Causes no stress to the animal;
  • Does not cause death before the actual slaughter;
  • Found with no fault in any scientific study;
  • Proved to be humane’ , causing no “pain” or suffering or cruelty, even to a few individual animals;
  • Causes no damaging or harmful effects to the quality of the meat;
  • Found to be a sure way of death (reliable);
  • Found to be irreversible (slowly and gradually progressing to death);
  • With only one way of killing (direct method);
  • To be practical and realistic; quick and easy to perform in any society, in any place;
  • ‘Very economical’ (not a lot of machinery and equipment, etc.);
  • Being more familiar to the animal, with less machinery and restraint (with a less threatening atmosphere);
  • Safe to perform (no electricity, gas or shocks, etc.);
  • Accepted by the community consuming the meat;
  • Liked by the slaughter man, with no psychological ill-effects on him;
  • Blessed for the believers by ALLAH (s.w.t).

Blackmore (1982) has identified the important factors which should be considered when choosing the most suitable method of slaughter as: humane aspects; capital and running costs; ease of operation and operator safety; secondary effects on the carcass and by-product quality, statutory and religious requirements.

Why Then, by a very, very sharp knife (which should be kept like a surgeon’s knife in sharpness and cleanliness, as previously stated by DR Ghulam Khan (UFAW, 1971), a Deep swift cut done instantaneously and quickly to the blood vessels of the neck (the two caroid arteries which carry blood to the brain and head, the two jugular veins which bring blood from the brain back to the heart), the trachea (windpipe) and the oesophagus (gullet), but the central nervous system (the spinal cord) should be kept safe and intact (not cut).
This deep, large cut through all the blood vessels of the neck causes acute blood loss and haemorrhagic shock: we know the blood is under great pressure , especially in the big carotid arteries (systolic pressure ) and at high speed and, according to physical law, the pressure always goes from the high to low resistance – the point of the cut is the scene of low resistance for blood to and from the brain. As we have a fully intact, alive heart, so most of the blood is going to be pumped and poured out instantaneously and quickly under pressure leading to a rapid fall in the blood pressure. Thus depriving the brain of its main source of oxygen and glucose, and with no blood which is necessary to keep the animal alive and functioning and able to deal with any perceptive sensation this leads to anoxia and almost immediate loss of consciousness (anesthetization or “stunning” ). The cerebrospinal fluid pressure falls even more rapidly than the blood pressure because of the jugular veins being cut, and this results in a deep shock and more loss of consciousness.
The animal, at this stage after the cut, is in a stable and quiet state with no movement or any distressed behavior. One would assume, if there was any pain or suffering, it would kick, move or show signs. After this short resting phase, and because the brain is deprived of oxygen and blood due to the huge amount of bleeding, the heartbeats increase in order to increase the flow of blood to the brain and other deprived areas. Tonic and clonic involuntary contractions and convulsions start and occur as automatic physiological reflexes in order to send and push blood up, especially to the brain. These contractions and convulsions are ‘painless’ (not, as the layman would imagine, that the kicking is due to the pain) especially when the animal is already unconscious and still has an intact spinal cord with safe nerve centers to the limbs, muscles and organs. So, we have a huge amount of bleeding from the initial cut then blood loss is continuing with the squeezing pressure of these contractions and convulsions, leading to maximum bleeding-out and less retention of blood in the carcass, giving a better quality of meat [both safer and healthier (this is like direct method of slaughter, “but without stunning”)].
I would like to end this section of my talk with at least one testimony from, for example, Lord Horder GCVO, MD, FRCP, who explained this type of slaughtering scientifically (and without the use of stunning):
‘The animal loses consciousness immediately. It is difficult to conceive a more painless and rapid mode of death; for a few seconds after the cut is made, the animal makes no movement its body is then convulsed, the convulsive movements continue for about a minute and then cease. The interpretation of this fact is clear: the cut is made by a knife so sharp and so skillfully handled that a state of syncope with its associated unconsciousness follows instantaneously upon the severing of the blood pressure. The movement of the animal which begins at about 90 seconds are epileptiform in nature and are due to the blood-less state of the brain (cerebral ischemia with complete anoxaemia). Sensation has been abolished at the moment of the initial syncope.’
Of course, there have been many other statements by eminent scientists giving the same explanations and conclusions about the direct act of slaughtering such as DR Leonard Hill (1923), Sir Lovatt Evans, Professor Harold Burrow, I M Levingen (1979), Professor F R Bell. Mr. Openshaw, Mr. Hayhurst etc. (Some are quoted, in Impact Magazine 1985).
Let me quote Prof. Leonard Hill, F.R.C.V.S, who strongly believed and expressed his views in his article – that the incision applied in the Ritual Slaughter causes no pain. Any Surgeon today knows that sudden big injuries are not felt at the time of infliction. Pain comes later when the wound is (septic, and) inflamed. Structures beneath the skin apart from isolated sensory nerve endings are insensitive to the knife.
Apart from the clear Divine laws and orders to us, and the clear physiological and scientific evidence, I would like to mention one golden rule in Islam which, again, fits into the perfection of mercy to every individual animal.
The rule states “Any action or method which will definitely lead to some harm damage or suffering is to be rejected or, any action which can be suspected to lead to a prohibited act is also to be rejected (e.g. eating dead animals or consuming blood etc.). So any method of slaughtering which can give us more blood or a dead animal [before the cut (for slaughtering) is made] is rejected”

Two facts are indisputably established by the above Professor:
a) That a big injury such as throat cutting is not felt at the moment of infliction.
b) That the cutting of big arteries in the throat instantly arrests the circulation in the brain and abolishes consciousness.
Prof. Charles Lovett Evans, F.R.C.V.S., has this to say:-
” As anyone who has ever witnessed the act is well aware, the animal lies absolutely still the moment the vessels arc cut, and it is only a minute or so later that asphyxia! convulsions set in. Consciousness we know is lost long before this ” .
” On physiological principles, it is clear that when such large vessels are severed the arterial blood pressure falls at once to a very low level, moreover the carotid arteries being severed, much of the blood supply to the brain is immediately lost and the result is immediate loss of consciousness. To consider that the animal suffers pain is, in my opinion, quite absurd. I consider the method to be equal to any “.
Prof. Leonard Hill says that no death could be more merciful, taking into account that the animal unlike man, has no knowledge or fear of impending death. The death is as quiet and merciful as that inflicted on murderers by hanging; to them, of course, the whole of this agony is in the advancing fear of death which is dated and timed and known to the victim.

 

source:  assessment on method of  halaal slaughtering

 

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