Since that fateful day in the first half of the second millennium BC, Eid rolls around every year; people buy animals, contact butchers and certain animal loving beef eaters begin complaining about animal abuse. From the beginning of the so called “Enlightenment” of the West in the early 16th century, the civilized world has adopted the Nimrodic Tradition of being the authors of morality. Full of hubris fueled by scientific advances, mankind has foolishly declared war on God by turning the Viceregency granted to Adam into an independent state.
The tradition of animal - and human - sacrifice in various civilizations
As this philosophy dominates the Modern world, the millennia old tradition of spending money on an animal to please the Divine is under fire just like how the Aztecs were chastised for killing humans for the sake of God. Muslim world too is being chastised by the consumerist world dominated by fast food chains into abandoning a tradition found in nearly all religions. We call it Eid, The Greeks and Romans called it the Haruspex sacrifice, The Scythians (later reffered to as Rajputs) and Vedic Hindus used to sacrifice Horses (Ashvamedha), Jews have their “Qorbani” or “Olah” while the Aztecs and Mayans sacrificed various animals (sometimes even prisoners of war) to their various gods.
Burgers, Biryani, BBQ and roast is eaten not knowing that an animal lost its life
In an urbanized society, people consume animals by the thousands yet are willingly oblivious to the source. Burgers, Biryani, BBQ and roast is eaten not knowing that an animal lost its life for us to enjoy this meal. Such an ungrateful society feels as if it is detached from the animal life where the only exposure to animal life through spoiled pets or semi living animals in zoos. Children grow up not knowing the value of animal life and thus taking them for granted. But when a child goes through the process of attachment, separation and grief, it realizes how lucky we are to be at the top of the food chain and how great a responsibility this is.
The lazy urban outrage
On the other hand, Eid also teaches us how indebted we are to the Divine for all we have. We eat animals slaughtered en masse in factories everyday but once every year we slaughter a domestic animal in the way our ancestors have for at least the last 2 millennia. Yet this one day has become the target of our urbanized “intellectual” elite. It is obvious to the observer how these concerns are the byproducts of a culture that needs the fruit without any of the struggle but instead wishes that the struggle not even be witnessed by them. This gives birth to a selfish uncaring society that strives only to feed itself and not care about the environment or the struggles mankind went through to get to this position.
I believe it is pure hubris and arrogance by which certain individuals in our society accuse Eid of being something terrifying and horrible as opposed to a humble homage and sacrifice to a man’s love for God around four thousand years ago and to how much we owe to the animals we have built our space faring civilization on. This tradition has persisted for four millennia and God willing will continue for four more.
The tradition of animal - and human - sacrifice in various civilizations
As this philosophy dominates the Modern world, the millennia old tradition of spending money on an animal to please the Divine is under fire just like how the Aztecs were chastised for killing humans for the sake of God. Muslim world too is being chastised by the consumerist world dominated by fast food chains into abandoning a tradition found in nearly all religions. We call it Eid, The Greeks and Romans called it the Haruspex sacrifice, The Scythians (later reffered to as Rajputs) and Vedic Hindus used to sacrifice Horses (Ashvamedha), Jews have their “Qorbani” or “Olah” while the Aztecs and Mayans sacrificed various animals (sometimes even prisoners of war) to their various gods.
Burgers, Biryani, BBQ and roast is eaten not knowing that an animal lost its life
In an urbanized society, people consume animals by the thousands yet are willingly oblivious to the source. Burgers, Biryani, BBQ and roast is eaten not knowing that an animal lost its life for us to enjoy this meal. Such an ungrateful society feels as if it is detached from the animal life where the only exposure to animal life through spoiled pets or semi living animals in zoos. Children grow up not knowing the value of animal life and thus taking them for granted. But when a child goes through the process of attachment, separation and grief, it realizes how lucky we are to be at the top of the food chain and how great a responsibility this is.
The lazy urban outrage
On the other hand, Eid also teaches us how indebted we are to the Divine for all we have. We eat animals slaughtered en masse in factories everyday but once every year we slaughter a domestic animal in the way our ancestors have for at least the last 2 millennia. Yet this one day has become the target of our urbanized “intellectual” elite. It is obvious to the observer how these concerns are the byproducts of a culture that needs the fruit without any of the struggle but instead wishes that the struggle not even be witnessed by them. This gives birth to a selfish uncaring society that strives only to feed itself and not care about the environment or the struggles mankind went through to get to this position.
I believe it is pure hubris and arrogance by which certain individuals in our society accuse Eid of being something terrifying and horrible as opposed to a humble homage and sacrifice to a man’s love for God around four thousand years ago and to how much we owe to the animals we have built our space faring civilization on. This tradition has persisted for four millennia and God willing will continue for four more.