Papers by Mir Masud-Elias
Does the annual, ritualized, live, mass slaughter of livestock animals practiced by observant Mus... more Does the annual, ritualized, live, mass slaughter of livestock animals practiced by observant Muslims worldwide during Eid ul-Adha (which commemorates the Abrahamic sacrifice and is a required obligation for financially able pilgrims during Hajj) respect the sanctity of life and afford a “good death” to the slaughtered animals in any meaningful way? Does it matter for an ethically conscious believing Muslim that the lives of these animals be extinguished by our hands in the most humane way possible? These are the broad questions I explore in my paper.
In particular, I describe how, except in certain narrow circumstances, this ritual, as often practiced now, is open to the following ethical critiques:
The ritual treats animals unethically according to non-Islamic ethical standards.
The ritual treats animals unethically according to Islamic teachings about the treatment of animals.
The ritual doesn’t function ethically as an individual experience that brings one closer to God by promoting the sanctity and preciousness of life (yes, ironically, by giving the animals in question a swift, clean death with minimal pain and suffering), i.e., as it’s supposed to function. Instead, the ritual involves turning a blind eye to the prolonged suffering inflicted upon the animals who are the objects of sacrifice.
The ritual doesn’t function socially or practically as it was intended to function, e.g., it’s an inefficient way to help the poor.
There are other ways in which participants are negatively impacted by the ritual e.g., some people are too close to the slaughter and therefore desensitized, and others who are too far from the slaughter are also desensitized in a different way.
Thus, Muslims and our allies who are troubled by these critiques need to forge alliances whether to advocate for reforms to the practice, or to reimagine the practice altogether.
Uploads
Papers by Mir Masud-Elias
In particular, I describe how, except in certain narrow circumstances, this ritual, as often practiced now, is open to the following ethical critiques:
The ritual treats animals unethically according to non-Islamic ethical standards.
The ritual treats animals unethically according to Islamic teachings about the treatment of animals.
The ritual doesn’t function ethically as an individual experience that brings one closer to God by promoting the sanctity and preciousness of life (yes, ironically, by giving the animals in question a swift, clean death with minimal pain and suffering), i.e., as it’s supposed to function. Instead, the ritual involves turning a blind eye to the prolonged suffering inflicted upon the animals who are the objects of sacrifice.
The ritual doesn’t function socially or practically as it was intended to function, e.g., it’s an inefficient way to help the poor.
There are other ways in which participants are negatively impacted by the ritual e.g., some people are too close to the slaughter and therefore desensitized, and others who are too far from the slaughter are also desensitized in a different way.
Thus, Muslims and our allies who are troubled by these critiques need to forge alliances whether to advocate for reforms to the practice, or to reimagine the practice altogether.
In particular, I describe how, except in certain narrow circumstances, this ritual, as often practiced now, is open to the following ethical critiques:
The ritual treats animals unethically according to non-Islamic ethical standards.
The ritual treats animals unethically according to Islamic teachings about the treatment of animals.
The ritual doesn’t function ethically as an individual experience that brings one closer to God by promoting the sanctity and preciousness of life (yes, ironically, by giving the animals in question a swift, clean death with minimal pain and suffering), i.e., as it’s supposed to function. Instead, the ritual involves turning a blind eye to the prolonged suffering inflicted upon the animals who are the objects of sacrifice.
The ritual doesn’t function socially or practically as it was intended to function, e.g., it’s an inefficient way to help the poor.
There are other ways in which participants are negatively impacted by the ritual e.g., some people are too close to the slaughter and therefore desensitized, and others who are too far from the slaughter are also desensitized in a different way.
Thus, Muslims and our allies who are troubled by these critiques need to forge alliances whether to advocate for reforms to the practice, or to reimagine the practice altogether.