Animal Advocacy Ghadimai festival will no longer sacrifise animals

[Second Summer]

A centuries-old tradition of animal sacrifice in Nepal is coming to an end.

The organizers of the Gadhimai festival, held every five years to celebrate the Hindu goddess of power, said Tuesday that they would no longer carry out the ritual killing of goats and water buffalos – a victory for activists and a milestone in global efforts to promote animal welfare.

More: Nepalese temple promises an end to world’s largest mass animal sacrifice - Yahoo News (28. July 2015)

“We have decided to completely stop the practice of animal sacrifice,” said Motilal Prasad, secretary of the Gadhimai Temple Trust, which organises the celebrations.

“I realised that animals are so much like us – they have the same organs as us … and feel the same pain we do,” Prasad told AFP.

More: Nepal temple bans mass animal slaughter at festival | World news | The Guardian (28. July 2015)

 

[Andy_T]

I recently read an article on the equally horrifying festival of Eid (Muslim) where also animals are sacrificed, and that a peaceful PETA protest of female Muslims in the Indian city of Bhopal was attacked by irate Muslims (last year).

What I remember from the article, however, was the thoughtful comment made by an Indian Muslim:

“I am not an Islamic scholar but I am not sure how far sacrificing animals is essential to the religion. If the impulse behind sacrifice is to offer something that is precious to God - as can be derived from the story of Abraham being called to sacrifice Ishmael - then perhaps we should wonder if the animals we eat are any longer precious to us as they were to the desert dwellers among who these traditions arose 2000 years ago. Would giving our wealth to the poor in the name of God, rather than buying the latest iPhone, not be a better sacrifice?’’

Best regards,
Andy

 

[Moll Flanders]

There is also a dreadful religion called Christianity and there is a festival every year where millions of turkeys are slaughtered for a meal on the 25th December.

 

[Andy_T]

That is actually the worst one, I fully agree!

 

[Moll Flanders]

By the way I don't really think Christianity is "dreadful", I was just trying to make a point. I know some of my neighbours celebrated Eid the other day and I'm sure there were no animal sacrifices at the Islamic centre where it was held.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I saw a cook make a turkey or chicken shaped bread on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

 

[Calliegirl]

It would have been nice if they had stopped it before it happened this year.

There is also the Jewish chicken torture and sacrifice held around the world for yom kippor, including right here in Los Angeles and New York.

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