I got this letter in my mailbox the other day:
Dear Indre,
Next month, the Gadhimai Festival will take place at a temple in southern Nepal. The two-day event happens every five years – and it’s the world’s largest sacrifice of animals.
In just weeks, more than 500,000 water buffalo, pigs, goats, chickens, pigeons and even mice will be slaughtered en masse by inexperienced people – tortured, beaten and in some cases, beheaded with all manner of weapons, causing a slow, painful death. The goal: pleasing Gadhimai, the goddess of power.
Humane Society International is working urgently with the Nepalese and Indian governments to reduce the number of animals killed and ultimately, to make the event violence-free, but we need your help.
It’s estimated that more than 70 percent of the animals involved are imported from India. To stem the tide, HSI helped secure requests from India’s Home Ministry to its states to prevent such border crossings during the festival period. We’ve also met with key politicians and mobilized religious leaders to raise public awareness, and we’re seeking intervention from the country’s Supreme Court.
Now, together we need to pressure the Nepalese government as well. Proper enforcement of local quarantine laws will help to reduce the number of animals slaughtered, improve welfare during transport and decrease the chance of spreading diseases. We’ve partnered with the Animal Welfare Network of Nepal – torchbearer of this campaign – and we’re making progress. But we need support from animal advocates around the world to ensure that the authorities cooperate fully.
Thank you for all that you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Andrew Rowan
President and CEO
Humane Society International
I was ready to click on “Please take a moment….”
After all, I love dogs, I love cats; heck, I love ALL pets!
My diet has been predominantly vegetarian for many years….yet…….
“Hmmm”, I needed to think this out.
So I started to put my ideas to paper.
Upon finishing, I clicked SEND.
Here’s my response to the President and CEO of the Humane Society International, Andrew Rowan:
Hello,
For the present moment, I am not signing this petition.
Cruelty is one thing, yes, and I certainly do not agree with cruelty.
Yet I do want to ask something:
Aren’t those animals being slaughtered used for food later?
As far as I know about Nepali culture, the answer to this question is “Yes”.
Assuming that all those animals are being used for food,
how does your petition here differ from creating a petition
to ask meat slaughter factories in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Australia
to refrain from animal sacrifice?
What makes you think that the Nepali are being more cruel
than what takes place on a daily basis in the meat industry in the first world?
Are some animal killing methods more “humane” than others?
What would happen if people in India and Nepal were to start a massive campaign
against the way human beings in the US consume turkeys during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter?
Should they send a letter to the President of the United States
so that Americans would no longer eat turkey during Thanksgiving?
How come you are protesting about half a million animals in Nepal when
174 TIMES as many animals are slaughtered
for Americans during their respective holidays????????
Consider these facts:
46 million turkeys were consumed on Thanksgiving,
22 million on Christmas,
and 19 million turkeys on Easter in 2011 in the United States.
Total number of turkeys slaughtered for the holidays: 87 million turkeys.
I am a vegetarian yet I am not going to protest
to all the people in this world who do choose to eat meat.
Is that what you are trying to do?
Thank you for all that you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Indre
**********Dear reader, what do YOU think???*********
