For Farhat Bessrour

For Farhat Bessrour

By

Robert E. Reis

While I was working in the Middle East, I resorted to satellite television to overcome cultural isolation. My favorite programs were about the animal police in two American cities and about the pet rescue service in the United Kingdom. I find cruelty to animals to be intolerable.

The desert is a harsh environment. Farmers and shepherds must be prepared to slaughter their animals. People must east.

An American acquaintance told me the reason he had left the farm of his childhood for the big city was that he could not bear to kill his pets. I understood.

For Farhat Bessrour

By

Robert E. Reis

While I was working in the Middle East, I resorted to satellite television to overcome cultural isolation. My favorite programs were about the animal police in two American cities and about the pet rescue service in the United Kingdom. I find cruelty to animals to be intolerable.

The desert is a harsh environment. Farmers and shepherds must be prepared to slaughter their animals. People must east.

An American acquaintance told me the reason he had left the farm of his childhood for the big city was that he could not bear to kill his pets. I understood.

A picture of St. Francis of Assisi hung in many of my elementary school classrooms. I assumed that kindness to animals was part of the Christian tradition. I never asked myself why there were no specific lessons about the ethical treatment of animals in our catechism.

Islam is not dog friendly. I knew a pet dog that was poisoned. I saw a Moslem aim his car at a dog for fun. But another Moslem friend of mine saw a similar incident. He forced the offending driver off the road and lectured him about his cruelty.

Cruelty to animals is not restricted to aberrant Arabs. A senior relative told me that he had had neighbors in Chicago seventy years ago who hunted and hanged cats for fun.

Many internet sites that consider themselves to be in the forefront of the battle against the Islamization of Europe cite verses in the Koran that have threatening implications. They also cite actions of Mohammed that not everyone would consider saintly.

Of course no one can deny that people who explode in public places are dangerous.

However, this does not explain the kindness shown to me by Moslem. Nor does it explain the behavior I recently saw in a major European capital city. A middle-aged Moslem climbed on a rickety café table to rescue a cat that had been trapped when the café’s automatic awning had retracted.

Serendipitously, I have received an e-mail from a friend on the Arabian Peninsula. Knowing my attitude towards animals and wanting to convert me to the religion that fills his life with joy, he has forwarded information from the Koran and the Hadith that will never appear on the Gates of Vienna.

Some of the chapters of the Koran are named after animals: the cow, cattle, the bee, the ants, the spider and the elephants. It contains parables about insignificant animals. When some people objected these parables, the author of the Koran responded: “Behold! Allah is not ashamed to propound the parable of a gnat or even of something more lowly.” (Qur’an 2:26)

My friend wants me to believe that the fundamental concept of Islam is Tawheed, the oneness of God. (God is one and his creation is one.) Being cruel to any member of the extended family of God’s creations is contrary to Tawheed.

The Hadith are enormous collections of recollections of Mohammed’s life that are studied by many devout Moslems. They contain many quotations and biographical vignettes the early Moslems recalled and which the compilers believed were accurate and expressed valuable lessons for the Islamic community.

Mohammed said, “Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.”

There are many examples in the Hadith of Mohammed attitude towards animals.

One day some of his companions took a baby bird from its nest. When Mohammed saw the distressed mother bird he demanded, “Who has distressed this one because of its baby? Return its baby to her.”

One day he saw some of his companions clearing an ant’s nest with fire. At this he said, “It is not becoming that anyone should punish by fire except the Lord of the Fire”.

At the time of Mohammed it was customary to brand animals on their faces. He condemned this practice as cruelty and from that time on animals have been branded in less painful locations in Arabia.

Once Mohammed saw that some archers were using live animals for target practicing. He said, “May Allah curse the one who uses any creature with a soul as a target.”

Mohammed once told a story about a prostitute who saw a dog lying by well that was dying of thirst. There was no bucket so she climbed into the well to get a drink for herself. She remembered the dog and soaked her socks with water. She climbed back up and squeezed the water into the mouth of the dog. Mohammed said that for this small act of kindness to an animal, God forgave her sins and granted her paradise.

Mohammed also told the story of a woman who intentionally allowed her cat to starve to death. He said that this woman was put into hell for her merciless act to the animal.

As we know Jews slaughter animals according to rules of Kosher. Moslems slaughter animals according to the rules of Hallal. There is a difference.

Mohammed taught: “Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill in a good manner. If you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. Each of you should sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal you are slaughtering.”

The Jews do it differently. They say, “The greater the pain, the sweeter the meat.”

Posted by Robert Reis on Monday, August 20, 2007 at 04:44 AM in
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