People are not the only ones suffering needlessly in Gaza

December 12, 2013 — xanthippa

While Pallywood has excellent skills in staging grievance-mongering videos, the people of Gaza truly are suffering.  The violence Hamas – a Muslim Brotherhood organization – has inflicted on any Palestinians opposed to its thuggish rule have been victimized, systematically marginalized and even murdered.

And, of course, the schools that they send their children to – the schools we, Westerners, pay for through the UN, brainwash the next generation, ensuring the continuance of the conflict so deeply trenched in religious dogma, no secular process can ever solve it.

For the record:  those familiar with the history of the region will know that the land originally granted for the creation of the new state of Israel had, in fact, been divided into an ‘Arab (Palestinian)’ section and the rest of Israel.  So, the ‘two state solution’ is, in fact, in place already.   The ‘Arab (Palestinian)’ section became known as the kingdom of Jordan. 

While the Jews from that area moved to the new, much smaller state of Israel, the combination of the Arab’s resistance to move to Jordan and Jordan’s resistance to accept them is the true cause of the displacement of the now called ‘Palestinians’

But, horrendous and unforgivable as it is, the human suffering in Gaza is not the subject this post.  Let’s just stipulate that it exists and hope that the international community (led by the UN) will soon wake up and stop funding Hamas and other oppressors of the Palestinian people and that one day soon, Palestinian children will live in a world where they can freely choose their own religion, without fear of marginalization, injury or death!

And, yes, there have, over the years, surfaced stories of the atrocious treatment of zoo animals in Gaza.  But, this post is not about them, either.  It’s not that they are not important, but they are visible and their fate has been brought to the world’s attention already.

This post is about many, many more animals:  the food animals imported into Gaza.

I must admit, I did not dare to watch the video at this link – but, reading the article, I knew I had to help spread the word about what is happening!

‘The Opposition says footage that appears to show Australian cattle being beaten, stabbed and dragged in Gaza may warrant a suspension of trade licences.’

…

‘”I think anyone who watches this footage and sees images of Australian cattle being stabbed in the eye, having their throats slit while still alive and being taunted and tortured would understand that now is the time to end the live export trade,” he [Greens MP Adam Bandt] said.’

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  Halal slaughter must be banned and Halal-slaughtered-meat must be banned from sale in all civilized countries!!!

For those of you who think this will infringe on the right to freedom of religion of Muslims – it will not.  Islam, in its wisdom, teaches that if halal food is not available in the country in which a Muslim resides, it is permissible for the Muslim to eat non-halal food.  If no transgression is intended, then none has happened!

Thus, halal food is not a requirement for Muslims and banning this horrible, torturous treatment of animals does not infringe on any religious freedom – even if such an infringement were a ground on which to permit unnecessary animal suffering.

Wherever you live – please, let your supermarket and your butcher know that you object to halal meat being sold by them.  Contact any food manufacturers who display a halal mark on their product and inform them why you will boycott their products in the future!

Market pressure is the best way to stop this unnecessary animal suffering. Because the question is not ‘Can they think?’ but ‘Can they feel pain?’

 

 

Posted in politics, religion, society. Tags: , , , , . 3 Comments »

Pat Condell: ‘Thank God for Andy Choudary’

January 14, 2010 — xanthippa

Pat Condell raises some important points…

One thing he mentions is ‘Halal meat‘.

For a while, I have been trying to compose a post about this….but have been having a lot of trouble (I have a lot of trouble with things where there is serious cruelty to animals).  So, let me just urge you to read up about what the whole ‘Halal’ thing is about on your own.  I can’t even do links – sorry – it just bothers me to see this stuff so much…

While you do, I would like to ask you to pay attention to two separate ways in which ‘Halal food’ production will impact our society.

First and foremost is the cruelty with which animals must be slaughtered in order to be considered ‘Halal’.  This is obvious.

So, when choosing restaurants and fast food outlets, I always make sure to avoid ‘Halal certified’ places.  And, if you find the place you are in is serving ‘Halal’ meat, and you choose to walk out, please, tell them why.

Or, perhaps, if enough people ask  Peta, they might organize a ‘Halal-awareness Campaign’!  They’d be very good at it!

And, perhaps they would reveal just how ‘stealthily’ this ‘Halal-compliant’ food is entering our food chain.  Because some of the multinational food corporations are ‘standardizing’ their practices:  often, this means slaughtering all animals in compliance with ‘Halal’ rules, but only labeling the bits for their Muslim customers as such.  And, especially many school cafeterias are purchasing ‘Halal-only’ meat, in order to cater to the needs of their Muslim students.  (In other words, they are taking ‘Halal’ as the ‘common denominator’ and serving it to everyone!)

The other thing to keep in mind while reading up on ‘Halal’ food is just how incompatible the requirements to keep food ‘Halal’ are with the laws of our society!

For example, a non-Muslim may not be trusted to keep any food ‘Halal’ – and  must not be believed that any food they handled retains its ‘Halal’ status  (unless a ‘trusted, moral Muslim’ supervises their every move) .

Regardless of how closely the technique of  ‘Halal slaughter’ is adhered to, it may only be performed by a ‘moral Muslim’, or a Christian or Jew under close and direct and close supervision of a ‘moral Muslim’.

And, this continues throughout the food-preparation and delivery process.

In other words, a person’s employment is determined by their religious faith!

An employer is forced to hire preferably Muslims only, or, in a pinch, also Christians or Jews – as long as their supervisor is a Muslim…. and absolutely no non-Muslim supervisors are allowed!  As for anyone who does not follow one of the three Abrahamic faiths – they are not permitted to touch or handle the food, ever.  Sorry, Sikhs, Buddhists, non-believers or anyone else!  No work for you in the food industry!

But, an employer is not permitted, by law, to discriminate in their hiring or promotion practices based on a person’s religious beliefs!  Isn’t that right up there, in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

Therefore, by the very fact that they are certified ‘Halal’, these places of employment are openly admitting that they are breaking the laws of our land!  That they are actively committing religious discrimination in their hiring practices!

If only we had some some sort of a Commission that would be able to  look into this….

Posted in opression, religion, society. Tags: , , , , , . 8 Comments »