PETA organizer, Ashley Fruno, answers some of My.Kali's Q's on what happened with the police on first circle-Jabal Amman, Islam and animal rights, and PETA's mission for the region.
Standing on the first circle next to Amina Tareq, and helping her out, the message was clear, but what did you call on to people? What did you shout saying?
We hoped that our event, which featured the slogan "Let Vegetarianism Grow on You", would help Jordanians realize that adopting a healthy, humane vegetarian diet is the best thing they can do for animals, for their health and, of course, for the environment.
"What just happened? Where is the green lady going?" 12-year-old Ahmed asked....?
Compassion is not a crime, yet police detained our Lettuce Lady, who only encouraged kindness by asking people to go vegetarian. Everyone should know what animals endure before they end up on supermarket shelves: they are neglected, mutilated, genetically manipulated, put on drug regimens that cause chronic pain and lameness, transported through all weather extremes and killed in gruesome and violent ways.
So is there going to be another "Lettuce Lady" strutting in town? Another appearance?
We can't reveal what we have up our sleeves, but we are hoping to be back in Jordan again very soon!
We hoped that our event, which featured the slogan "Let Vegetarianism Grow on You", would help Jordanians realize that adopting a healthy, humane vegetarian diet is the best thing they can do for animals, for their health and, of course, for the environment.
"What just happened? Where is the green lady going?" 12-year-old Ahmed asked....?
Compassion is not a crime, yet police detained our Lettuce Lady, who only encouraged kindness by asking people to go vegetarian. Everyone should know what animals endure before they end up on supermarket shelves: they are neglected, mutilated, genetically manipulated, put on drug regimens that cause chronic pain and lameness, transported through all weather extremes and killed in gruesome and violent ways.
So is there going to be another "Lettuce Lady" strutting in town? Another appearance?
We can't reveal what we have up our sleeves, but we are hoping to be back in Jordan again very soon!
"Halal butcher shops often obtain the animals they slaughter from the same mechanized, cruel factory farms that supply conventional (non-halal) slaughterhouses."
In Europe, America and so far west... PETA established for the reasons hovering around, now, the Middle East, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon... That's an interesting choice! Do you see the kind of harm factories and farms here treat animals the same as they do in the west?
Factory farms are everywhere are certainly cruel, but another important issue is the live export of animals from countries such as Australia to the Middle East. In Australia, sheep and other animals are crammed onto severely crowded multi-level ships and spend weeks in filthy, squalid conditions. There are so many animals and so few workers on the ships that even basic husbandry needs and veterinary care are neglected. Many animals are crushed or smothered to death while attempting to reach the very limited water supply they're given. They are forced to stand amid their own excrement and often endure temperatures which can exceed 40°C. Painful and debilitating diseases run rampant on export ships - salmonellosis (a type of gastroenteritis), pneumonia and scabby mouth are common. Thousands of animals die on board these ships every year.
Small family-run farms are a thing of the past and are being replaced by massive factory farms. On today's factory farms, cows are routinely branded, de-horned and castrated without any painkillers. Chickens are drugged and bred to grow so rapidly that they often become crippled under the weight of their massive upper bodies. Their throats are cut while they are still conscious, and many are scalded to death in de-feathering tanks.
You talked about torturing animals, farms of the KFC, breeding for food... killing animals to eat them. My point that leads to my question, in Islam, there's a special part about feeding on animals and how to kill them without having them tortured. What's your view on that... or is it just about vegetarianism?
According to the Qur'an, animals are not merely "food": "There is not an animal that lives on the Earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but forms part of communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end." (Qur'an 6:38)
Islamic law requires that animals used for food receive humane treatment from birth until death. A quick death by cutting the throat is only the culmination of Islamic teachings on the use of animals for food, not the sole focus. The dietary laws of Islam require that animals be "healthy and moving" when their throats are cut. However, when these laws were passed thousands of years ago, they were intended to minimize animals' pain, and the practices they mandated were probably more humane than other alternatives. But with today's high-speed lines, mass-production facilities and strict sanitation laws, ritual slaughter has become a mockery of its original intent.
Halal butcher shops often obtain the animals they slaughter from the same mechanized, cruel factory farms that supply conventional (non-halal) slaughterhouses. For these reasons, Muslims worldwide are choosing not to eat meat. To learn more, visit www.IslamicConcern.com
Don't forget to visit PETA's site PETA.org
Factory farms are everywhere are certainly cruel, but another important issue is the live export of animals from countries such as Australia to the Middle East. In Australia, sheep and other animals are crammed onto severely crowded multi-level ships and spend weeks in filthy, squalid conditions. There are so many animals and so few workers on the ships that even basic husbandry needs and veterinary care are neglected. Many animals are crushed or smothered to death while attempting to reach the very limited water supply they're given. They are forced to stand amid their own excrement and often endure temperatures which can exceed 40°C. Painful and debilitating diseases run rampant on export ships - salmonellosis (a type of gastroenteritis), pneumonia and scabby mouth are common. Thousands of animals die on board these ships every year.
Small family-run farms are a thing of the past and are being replaced by massive factory farms. On today's factory farms, cows are routinely branded, de-horned and castrated without any painkillers. Chickens are drugged and bred to grow so rapidly that they often become crippled under the weight of their massive upper bodies. Their throats are cut while they are still conscious, and many are scalded to death in de-feathering tanks.
You talked about torturing animals, farms of the KFC, breeding for food... killing animals to eat them. My point that leads to my question, in Islam, there's a special part about feeding on animals and how to kill them without having them tortured. What's your view on that... or is it just about vegetarianism?
According to the Qur'an, animals are not merely "food": "There is not an animal that lives on the Earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but forms part of communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end." (Qur'an 6:38)
Islamic law requires that animals used for food receive humane treatment from birth until death. A quick death by cutting the throat is only the culmination of Islamic teachings on the use of animals for food, not the sole focus. The dietary laws of Islam require that animals be "healthy and moving" when their throats are cut. However, when these laws were passed thousands of years ago, they were intended to minimize animals' pain, and the practices they mandated were probably more humane than other alternatives. But with today's high-speed lines, mass-production facilities and strict sanitation laws, ritual slaughter has become a mockery of its original intent.
Halal butcher shops often obtain the animals they slaughter from the same mechanized, cruel factory farms that supply conventional (non-halal) slaughterhouses. For these reasons, Muslims worldwide are choosing not to eat meat. To learn more, visit www.IslamicConcern.com
Don't forget to visit PETA's site PETA.org