Day of Sacrifice

As reported by What's New Jakarta:

Goats and cattle taking over Jakarta!: For those new to Jakarta, you may be befuddled by the increasing appearance of goats and cattle along the roadsides, and even the regular sightings of goats being transported precariously slung over the seats of motorbikes! This is a yearly sight in the lead up to the Muslim celebration of Idul Adha, also known as the ‘day of sacrifice’. Practiced throughout the Muslim world, it commemorates Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice everything for God, including the life of his son Ishmael. God apparently intervened though, and substituted Ishmael with a sheep instead. Muslims therefore commemorate this by sacrificing an animal and distributing its meat amongst family, friends and as an act of charity, to those underprivileged.  This allows many poor Indonesians the opportunity, once a year, to eat meat, a commodity they can rarely afford. Many expatriates in Jakarta also participate by buying a goat or a cow and donating it to their local mosque to be sacrificed and distributed in the local community. Goats typically are sold for between Rp 800,000 to Rp 3 million and cows Rp 6-16 million. So Selamat Iduh Adha everyone!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am all for feeding the poor and indigent; but the sight on local TV of livestock lying on the ground partially slaughtered with their throats slashed and still kicking or flailing in a pool of their own blood while on-lookers appear to revel in the event is rather disturbing.  There's a right way and a wrong way to bleed an animal out.  If you're going to "do the deed" of immolation then for Heaven's sake do it quickly and HUMANELY and put the animal out of its misery!  

There's a difference between forbearance, abstention, forfeiture, relinquishment or offering up something for an act of "sacrificing"; and causing an animate object to purposely suffer...  There is a way you can kill, "sacrifice", or home slaughter livestock very quickly without causing the animal to endure suffering.



Here's what the Australian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has to say:


"RSPCA Australia is opposed to the sale at (street) markets and saleyards of individual farm animals destined for home slaughter because it cannot be guaranteed that such animals will be humanely and competently handled, transported and then killed. Such practices may occur, for example, during certain religious festivals where it is common to sacrifice an animal, e.g. a goat, sheep or cow.

Our policy on transport of food animals states that we support the humane slaughter of food animals as near as possible to the point of production. Our policy on humane killing states that an animal must be killed instantly or instantaneously rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes. In addition, the method of killing and the skill of the operator are essential aspects of the slaughtering process. For instance, the RSPCA considers shooting by firing a bullet into the brain to be the most consistent and reliable means of humanely killing an animal."