BETWEEN THE WUHAN MARKET AND THE KOSHER SLAUGHTERHOUSE – Animal suffering and human epidemics

It is not only the city that is trapped. People’s voices are, too… The world is silent and that silence is dreadful. – Diary of Guojing, young woman isolated in Wuhan’s quarantine (1).o
Aída Reboredo Arroyo

I’ll treatment of animals generates effects that no individual or nation, no matter how powerful it may think it is, can deny. Some effects are obvious, and others are not so evident due to the confusion of the fragmented minds. Every action generates a reaction, every cause an effect. A review of the causes that triggered the Covid 19 pandemic forces us to stop at the mistreatment of animals. Infliction of suffering generates suffering. The suffering experienced by humanity is not unrelated to the suffering that, without exception, is caused to animals. It is not by chance that the spread of Covid 19 started in the Huanan Seafood and Fish Market, located in the heart of Wuhan city.

In the Wuhan market 112 animal species were usually sold, some of them slaughtered and ready for consumption, such as rats, cats, pigs, snakes and bats. Others, still alive and caged, such as dogs, bears, venison. Its sad images travelled all around the world. Among other species for sale were foxes, giant salamanders, peacocks, wolf cubs, koalas, crocodiles, pangolins, civet cats, tigers, snakes, bats, raccoons, camels, monkeys, marmots and porcupines. The variety of species offered in Huanan, some of them endangered, made it an important Chinese traditional market.

The difference between Kosher or Halal meat displayed in well-lit supermarket aisles and the meat displayed on the bloody and humid aisles of Wuhan market covered by feathers, fish scales and viscera is its presentation, its form and appearance. Suffering is the same in the supermarkets as in Hunan market. All violently mistreated animals share the same suffering: Wuhan’ animals and those who reach the first world slaughterhouses go through the same terror, the same pain and suffering.

Violence against animals generates disturbing consequences on the planet that affects all living beings. Due to the unavoidable law of Cause and Effect, any suffering inflicted to animals will reflect itself in human suffering. Animal blood flows like rivers through the Earth. Humankind destroys animals and mutatis mutandi, animals transmit plagues which in return destroy humankind. A time will come in which human beings will be satisfied with vegetarian meals and animal slaughtering will be considered a crime, just like the murder of a human being… truly, man is the king of the beasts because his brutality surpasses that of the beasts. We live by the death of others. All of us are cemeteries —Leonardo da Vinci (2).

In 2017 meat production worldwide was almost five times higher than at the beginning of the sixties. It grew from 70 million tons to more than 330 million tons in 2017 (3). Animals are considered valuable commodities, inanimate objects from their birth until they are served on a dish. Eating meat not only impregnates the olfactory and taste memory systems generating the need to consume more, but also permeates the emotional and astral fields where all animal fear, suffering, and pain vibrations dwell. Anyone causing suffering to a living being is generating suffering to itself, because all that exists is an interdependent unity, an interbeing. We are mistaken if we think we can damage a part of the unit without damaging ourselves. If we harm a single part of the unit which we conform and conforms us, we are harming ourselves.

When unified conscience is attained and the fragmented vision of existence vanishes, we understand that animal and human bodies only differ in the diverse modalities of material nature that composes them, but both are manifestations of the Essence, like everything in existence. The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a pariah (4). We have the opportunity and duty to learn to be compassionate towards all beings, despite of their particular characteristics. Unified conscience, which is synonymous of living in love, generates understanding about the equality of all living beings. Mahatma Gandhi commented in relation to the aforementioned sloka: Interior unity compenetrates all life. Forms are many, but the spirit that provides form is one (5).

There is a tendency worldwide to decrease consumption of red meats and increase poultry consumption, especially chicken and turkey. After their brief period of accelerated growth, they are transported from the poultry yards to the slaughterhouses, where millions arrive already dead. In 2019 Thanksgiving celebration day 46 million turkeys were slaughtered in the United States. This country is the first producer in the world with 3.4 million kg of turkey meat per year. The vast majority of these are raised in crowded farms with a capacity to contain up to 25 thousand birds to which their beaks had been painfully amputated to avoid injuries amongst them (6).

For every egg-laying hen in the world, a rooster of the same species is crushed or suffocated at birth, since it is considered not to produce enough meat to make it profitable to raise it. This means the annual death of about 3.2 billion newborn chicks (7).

Millions of animals live permanently confined behind bars. Spain is the country of the European Union with the largest number of caged animals (92 million). It is estimated that the 99% of male pigs, 98% of female sows and 82% of chickens live in confinement. In 2018 in Spain 910 million animals were slaughtered, 54 million more than in 2017. Chicken slaughtering grew 46 million, pigs 2 million reaching a total of 52.2 million sacrificed pigs, of which only a third was consumed in Spain, the rest was exported to China and France (8).

Stunning methods used on mammals consist on a shot to the head or the application of electrodes before stabbing them. The most common slaughtering method is to cut the throat: the jugular vein and the carotid artery are sectioned with a knife. After cutting the throat of sheep and pigs, the animals are taken to scalding tanks and scorching ovens to eliminate their hair. Rules require verification of the animal’s death before proceeding with scalding and scorching; however, in practice many are submerged while still alive (9). It is obvious that stunning does not decrease the intrinsic violence of the act of killing. Any form of killing, with or without stunning, generates pain and terror.

Sheep, with a life expectancy of 15 years, are butchered when they are between 3 to 6 months of life; pigs, with the same life expectancy as sheep are killed between 3 and 6 months of age; calves, with a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years are slaughtered when they are between one to two years old; rabbits, with a life expectancy of 6 to 8 years, are sacrificed between their sixth and eighth weeks of life; chickens with a life expectancy of 10 years are regularly killed when they are six weeks old (10). A study regarding lamb mistreatment in the Mexican states of Mexico and Hidalgo highlights the practice of violent and clandestine slaughtering of animals as customary in the entire country. Each butcher kills up to three lambs at one time; a fact that allows us to imagine that these animals are slaughtered in a hurry and without compassion. Under these conditions more than 3 million lambs are butchered each year in the afore mentioned states (11).

A considerable number of animals cannot withstand long trips and die on route to slaughterhouses. European norms authorize 24 consecutive hours runs without rest for pigs and horses; 14 hours for sheep, cows and goats; 12 hours for chicken and rabbits. During these hours they remain in cramped spaces, some arrive injured or sick, they all arrive emaciated, and some die during the stretch. A study of chicken transportation made during four years in Italy in more than fifty slaughterhouses revealed that the amount of fowl dead on arrival reached up to 1.62% which translates into millions of chickens (12).

Animal mistreatment belongs to an exploitation system that is common to the entire planet and to its subjacent belief that considers animals as inanimate commodities. Animal ill-treatment is inherent to the meat industry. Modern slaughterhouses has been designed to kill the largest number of animals in the least possible time. Some companies slaughter up to 13 thousand pigs and 80 thousand chicken per working day (13).

Animal slaughtering by Kosher rite, which follows precepts of the Torah, does not avoid animal suffering. This method requires the butcher, or shojed, to be a learned and pious man capable of making a quick and deep incision on the neck of the animal to cut the jugular vein and the carotid artery on both sides, without damaging the spine. In the case of fowl, a transversal cut is made in the form of a half-moon on the neck. The goal of this technique is to drain the blood of the dead animal, in obedience of the Torah: for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood (14). Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water (15). It becomes evident that the Kosher way of killing does not eliminate pain and agony of its victims, despite of the butcher’s dexterity orthe sharpness of the blade.

Slaughtering by the Halal rite allowed by Islam only differs in some ritual details from the Kosher technique, without changing the acute animal suffering. The Halal method requires the butcher to pronounce the word ‘Bismillah’ (in the name of Allah) before proceeding to slaughter each animal. The animal is immobilized and laid down on its left side looking towards Mecca. In this position the jugular vein, the carotid artery, the windpipe and the gullet are sectioned preferably with one skillful cut —which is not always attained—. Halal rite animal slaughtering does not eliminate the victim’s pain or agony.

Both the Kosher and the Halal rite employ cruel animal immobilization techniques. This brutality has been widely documented by different groups for the protection of animal life. After being immobilized, suffering, terrorized and still fully conscious, the butcher makes the incision on the neck and slices the tissues. It takes several minutes for the animals to bleed to death. In some cases, while still conscious, they are hanged on hooks and the process of dismemberment starts. This frequently happens while the animal is still alive (16). An international movement against Kosher and Halal slaughtering methods exists arguing the fact that they do not stun animals before killing them. It is paradoxical that the legitimacy of the act of killing is not itself being questioned, but only the best method of doing it. As if a good killing method would exist.

Many Jewish voices have risen against animal abuse, one of them is Isaac Bashevis Singer, literature Nobel Prize, who wrote: In relation to animals, all people are nazis; for animals, this is an eternal Treblinka (17)

As long human beings will shed the blood of animals, there can be no peace (18).

United States, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina consume more than 100kg of meat per person per year, which means that each person annually consumes the equivalent of fifty chicken or half a cow. In 2018 the per capita consumption of meat in the United States reached its highest level in decades. In western Europe between 80 and 90kg of meat are consumed by each person per year. Poor countries consume ten times less meat than the European average (19).

Many meat consumers are not sensitive to animal suffering or aware of the electromagnetic vibrations of anxiety, pain and fear which get integrated to their bodies and minds when they eat animal meat. Other consumers are more sensitive to animal suffering; however, this sensitivity is not intense enough for them to change their eating habits. It is common that sensitivity towards animals is limited to some species, mostly pets and personal mascots. Sadly, the love professed to their pets does not take their owners to discover that all animals have feelings, emotions, intelligence and are creatures equally worth of love. Pythagoras said: As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love (20).

The Mahabharata, the sacred book of India —III century BCE— is clear regarding the complicity tying those who kill animals to those who eat their meat: The buyer of meat practices violence by virtue of his wealth; that who eats meat does so to taste its flavor; the murderer practices violence by tying and killing the animal. This, there are three ways of killing: that who brings or order meat, that who cuts the animal to pieces and that who buys, sells or cooks meat and eats it. All of them must be considered devourers of meat (21).

Each action generates its effects or reactions which are difficult to distinguish due to the complexity of the network of cause and effect. If animals are treated as food or are in some way abused, this ill- treatment will generate suffering not only to the victim but also to the perpetrator. If we long to heal the profound wounds that humankind has inflicted on creation, and which revert against it due to the inexorable law of cause-effect, it is imperative to stop killing. If a person abstains itself from eating meat, which corresponds to abstaining itself from killing, this person is liberating its conscience.

A vegetarian diet will provide peaceful and loving energy not only to our body but above all to our spirit —Pythagoras (22).

(1) https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-51326231
(2) https://www.semana.com/vida-moderna/articulo/diez-importantes-vegetarianos-sus-frases-celebres/430047-3
(3) https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-47119001
(4) Bhagavad Gita The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International 1984;5.18.
(5) El Bhagavad Gita de acuerdo a Gandhi Editorial Kier, Buenos Aires 1991. Comentario de Mahatma Ghandi al sloka 5:18.
(6) https://www.ecoavant.com/consumo/estadounidenses-comeran-noche-46-millones-pavos-producidos-industrialmente_4814_102.html
(7) http://avicultura.proultry.com/empresas/project-in-ovo
(8) https://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/Dentro-matadero-investigacion-mataderos-espanol_6_848025205.html
(9) igualdadanimal.org
(10) https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=animal+aid&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=es-mx&client=safari)
(11) https://aristeguinoticias.com/0411/mexico/violaciones-sistematicas-en-matanza-de-borregos-en-hidalgo-y-edomex-investigacion/
(12) https://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/Dentro-matadero-investigacion-mataderos-espanol_6_848025205.html
(13) https://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/Dentro-matadero-investigacion-mataderos-espanol_6_848025205.html
(14) Levíticus 17,14 New King James Version
(15) Deuteronomy 15,23 id
(16)https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpro/2010/80134/metodo_halal.pdf)
(17) https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Bashevis_Singer
(18) (http://www.forovegetariano.org/foro/archive/index.php/t-7608.html. Judaísmo y vegetarianismo).
(19) https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-47119001
(20) https://www.semana.com/vida-moderna/articulo/diez-importantes-vegetarianos-sus-frases-celebres/430047-3
(21) Mahabharata, Anu. 115:40
(22) https://www.semana.com/vida-moderna/articulo/diez-importantes-vegetarianos-sus-frases-celebres/430047-3

Acerca de la autora

Aída Reboredo Arroyo

Es autora de libros y artículos; cofundadora del primer centro de estudios de la mujer en México. Es Psicóloga Clínica con estudios de maestría y doctorado realizados en Francia y Brasil. Fue profesora universitaria en diversas instituciones académicas de la Ciudad de México y de Veracruz, así como cofundadora de las Agencias Especializadas en Delitos Sexuales.