A Crying Bull

A couple of years ago, I was stuck in traffic, not too far from a butcher shop. Since I was the passenger, I got to watch and witness a few things unfold.

The butcher shop had livestock lined up outside awaiting their turn to meet the blade. The ground surrounding the butcher shop was covered in fresh blood; it was running into a nearby manhole.

I had seen this scene hundreds of times over the years. In the past, I had participated in the slaughtering procedures for religious purposes—Muslims celebrate Eid El-Adha, sacrifice, by slaughtering a sheep and distributing it among family, friends, neighbors, and the poor. However, I don’t think I had paid such close attention as I had that day while stuck in traffic.

It was a young bull that drew my attention to the scene. He was trembling, crying, uncontrollably peeing and defecating himself. It was heartbreaking.

Clotted Blood

The incident ignited an explosion in my mind. I thought about all the animals we mistreat; I thought about the traumas we provoke in those animals. It is as if we enjoy torturing animals to get the most out of them. We electrocute and sedate them to take from them. We stuff them in farms like sardines for profit.

Such traumas have negative impacts on the animals. We are harming the animals, and in turn, we are harming ourselves by consuming traumatized animals or plants—yes, plants get it too.

I know that I am oversimplifying here, but it needs to be.

The Halal/Kosher Way

I found myself in an intricate web pointing me towards the halal and kosher ways of doing things. Supposedly, they keep such things in mind. However, the butcher shop that triggered this train of thoughts was following the halal way in a halal country. I did some more research and learned that these labels are used for commercial purposes only. They are not much better than a fisherman using dynamite to fish.

In a halal slaughterhouse, animals are not to see blood; animals are not to watch other animals die; animals are treated with kindness and mercy; animals have rights. At least, that is the only way I know it to be.

Conscious consumption

I am not going to say go vegan. I love my burgers. Plus, I don’t think there is one right way of living. Our bodies are like seeds that need various sources of energy and environments. However, a balanced diet is key.

We can also demand better treatment for animals by purchasing products that meet those standards until they become the collective standards, with decent pricing.

Everything takes time! And remember, doctors had to taste pee to diagnose diabetes.