 I don't know the reason, but during the feasts I feel gloomy. If I were sad only during the Feast of Sacrifice, I'd say that it was because of the cruelty to animals. I do feel sorry for them, but I suppose I don't have a good reason to justify my mood. I like feasts since it is a time for families to come together. However, I can't prevent myself from having depressing thoughts.
I'm happy I'm not a vegetarian in Turkey, where most people like to eat meat and insist that vegetarians just take a bite of their meaty foods for taste. Being a vegetarian in such a country that's known for its kebabs is difficult only because of the difficulty of convincing our hospitable people that not everyone eats the same foods. I think the term 'hospitality' has changed in meaning. It's begun to mean insistence on offering the things to loved ones that they don't want.
Do you know how this feast originated? In the past, the prophet Abraham hadn't had a child for many years. Then he promised if God gave him a son, he'd sacrifice him for God. After he had got a son, he told Isaac that he had to sacrifice him for God. Before he did the deed, a ram fell from the sky. God told Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son. After that day, the Feast of the Sacrifice became a tradition.
Every year, the majority of people sacrifice animals and the news on the media reads: “Along with reuniting families and reinforcing traditions, the” Feast of the Sacrifice' also brought grim tragedy to crowded highways and scenes of illegal animal slaughter in city parks and alleys. The most notorious feast traditions in Turkey are the great number of road accidents and deaths and the ugly scenes accompanying illegal animal sacrifices on roadsides. In İstanbul, where the slaughter scenes were largely absent, 200 sacrifice rituals are banned. Those who want to sacrifice animals are obligated to do so in permitted areas with professional butchers. In İzmir sacrifices continued to be done in unhygienic areas and on the streets. Despite precautions taken and areas designated for sacrificing animals, many preferred to sacrifice their animals on the streets, with amateur butchers disposing of organs in a haphazard way.” A few actions are taken to prevent all this nonsense, but later on, things are forgotten until the next feast.
I've no objection to eating animals; I'm not a vegetarian, but I am not so much keen on eating meat. However, the issue I want to emphasize is the change in the way we see the sacrifice. I suppose we have become coarser and perhaps even barbarous. We see ourselves as Master and the animal is our slave. So we have the right to kick it and use it to boost our ego-but do we really? The increasing greediness of our people that results in stocks of meat in their homes instead of sharing with poor is other issue. Maybe we must first remember that we are sacrificing them as a commandment of God to do a good deed. Maybe then we will remember that what we are really doing is worship, not insult. And maybe we can be much more humane.
By Müge Tekin (IE/IV)
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