Unequal Measures
November 28th, 2009
Source: HPI
KAPAA, HI, USA, Novemeber 28, 2009: An HPI reader, Devant Maharaj, wrote to HPI about the very negative coverage of the Gandhimai festival in the media. He says:
“A CNN International Desk on Wednesday, Mr Mann was reporting on the animal sacrifices in Nepal. He made very negative statements about the matter, stating that it was being done by Hindus. He used emotive words like ‘bizarre.’ The whole thing was presented in such a way as to demean Hindus and bring them into contempt.”
He continues, “I sent them an email about the issue. I pointed out the practices of the Muslim eid ul adha — which incidentally is today — where millions of animals are massacred every year; biblical references to sacrifice; and the killing of millions of animals every day to satisfy the cravings for meat. I also mentioned the inhumane housing conditions for these animals in America.”
HPI and Hinduism Today have long heralded that ahimsa, non-hurtfulness, is the foremost restraint of Hinduism taught by the sages. The magazine is in no way condoning animal sacrifice, however, when we say that the Gandhimai festival pales in comparison with the consumption of animals, in all forms, by the Western countries most likely to be criticizing the festival.
The horrific animal body count in Nepal is meager when compared with the daily animal killings of even one country: the United States. The statistics for this country are: 1.12 cows slaughtered per second, along with 3.68 pigs and an astonishing 287 chickens. Unlike the Nepalese festival, this happens every day of every year. See a graph http://www.animalvisuals.org/data/slaughter/?y=2008
In Nepal, as in America, the animals have their corpses fully used for food or other products. While this is a justification for a few, it is still far from the Hindu ideal of ahimsa.
KAPAA, HI, USA, Novemeber 28, 2009: An HPI reader, Devant Maharaj, wrote to HPI about the very negative coverage of the Gandhimai festival in the media. He says:
“A CNN International Desk on Wednesday, Mr Mann was reporting on the animal sacrifices in Nepal. He made very negative statements about the matter, stating that it was being done by Hindus. He used emotive words like ‘bizarre.’ The whole thing was presented in such a way as to demean Hindus and bring them into contempt.”
He continues, “I sent them an email about the issue. I pointed out the practices of the Muslim eid ul adha — which incidentally is today — where millions of animals are massacred every year; biblical references to sacrifice; and the killing of millions of animals every day to satisfy the cravings for meat. I also mentioned the inhumane housing conditions for these animals in America.”
HPI and Hinduism Today have long heralded that ahimsa, non-hurtfulness, is the foremost restraint of Hinduism taught by the sages. The magazine is in no way condoning animal sacrifice, however, when we say that the Gandhimai festival pales in comparison with the consumption of animals, in all forms, by the Western countries most likely to be criticizing the festival.
The horrific animal body count in Nepal is meager when compared with the daily animal killings of even one country: the United States. The statistics for this country are: 1.12 cows slaughtered per second, along with 3.68 pigs and an astonishing 287 chickens. Unlike the Nepalese festival, this happens every day of every year. See a graph http://www.animalvisuals.org/data/slaughter/?y=2008
In Nepal, as in America, the animals have their corpses fully used for food or other products. While this is a justification for a few, it is still far from the Hindu ideal of ahimsa.
so just because it has been done by Muslism for Eid and in the past by Christians, makes it okay for us Hindus to kill 250,000 animals. yes the story should be balanced and report on both Muslim and Christian [Western] animal killings for both food and religious.
But Hindus should stop this and think twice if the Lord truly wants his name glorified by the killing of his defenseless animals