Mar
Egyptian organization defends animals against abuse
PHOTO: Stray dog in Saqqara, Egypt, Matt Handy, flickr
SPARE, the Society of Protecting Animal Rights in Egypt, protects animals that are often the targets of poison and killing campaigns to reduce their numbers. The site arranges adoptions of rescued pets, usually to Europeans who take the animals home with them.
Some of the animals are abused to get rid of them, others for entertainment’s sake.
One thing not readily addressed on the site as far as I can tell is how Islam views animals. If people followed Islamic guides on treating animals, it seems the animals and animal rights activists would be happy.
The Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad set out guidelines for how to treat animals. Among other things, Muslims are instructed to not overwork animals and make sure they are well-fed and cared for.
While dogs are considered unclean, a hadith notes that the prophet forgave a prostitute because she had brought water to a thirsty dog milling around a well.
There are directions that animals for food should be slaughtered with a sharp knife to minimize suffering and away from progeny. Animals should also not be killed without a purpose.
I seem to remember hearing somewhere that the Prophet Muhammad was fond of cats …
March 19th, 2008 at 8:04 pmChristianity doesn’t consider any animals unclean, but we value humane treatment as well - “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10)