Spilling the Blood of Bulls to Preserve Zulu Tradition

New York Times.NONGOMA,South Africa.

New York Times story on bare hand ritualistic killing of a bull in Zulu lands of South Africa.It is not that their was a protest and a court case about the cruelty the ritual.Tradition has allowed this to continue. South African president Mr Zuma is from the Zulu tribe. This ritual is supposed to transfer immense powers of the bull to the king of the people.Because of this belief even the judge did not want to interfere .He was afraid, if harm fell on the king he may be blamed for causing the calamity.

Ritualistic killings have been performed in many cultures.In some of the Hindu rituals a horse or the buffalo was sacrificed. Gandhi in his autobiography had mentioned how he was hurt to see the carnage and ritualistic killing of animals in Kali Temple in Calcutta.He felt that Hindu's should find a way to disassociate from this practice and stop it .I am not sure what is the status of this practice in Bengal.

I am aware that a ritualistic sacrifice of Animals happen in Hindu festivals in Nepal and in Bali.

Mass Killing of a animals for Eid is well known world over .This symbolises ritualistic sacrifice of his son by Ibrahim on demand of the God.On offering his son for sacrifice god symbolically changed it to a goat and God accepted goat as the symbolic offering.Poor animals keep on dying to fulfill that sacrifice ritual again and again every year.

Many a bulls have been killed in play and entertainment in the bull rings.Dogs and cocks have fought for survival and entertainment.Many animals have died for pleasure ritualistic or for Paulette satisfaction of man.Many times man himself has been made to sacrifice with his life to please some desire of the whim.

We have sacrificed and martyred our young to the alter of nationalism .Islam has promised 1000 virgins to such martyrs.

Everyday we raise and kill variety of animals for food and think it is most appropriate way to do it.

I as a vegetarian do not want any animal to die to feed me.I am saddened by holier than thou attitude of the people who do not mind killing in slaughter houses owned by factories and factory farms but find a token ritualistic killing of some remote tribe.The people who believe that any killing of animals is morally wrong.I can understand their protest when these killings are glorified.

I still wish that Zulu find a way to stop this cruel way of killing maybe they can pardon a bull like the tradition of symbolic pardoning of Turkeys by President of America.Even when millions of Turkeys are slaughtered in America for thanks giving.
STARTING OF A MORE HUMANE RITUAL WILL EMPOWER THE ZULU EVEN MORE THAN ANY POWER THE KING RECEIVES FROM THIS KILLING OF THE BULL.