To watch or not to watch. That's the dilemma I faced on Idul Adha, a big holiday in the Muslim calendar. The wealthy are encouraged to slaughter animals and distribute the meat to the poor. I visited one neighbourhood where preparations were underway for the killing of 2 bulls, one cow, a water buffalo and 5 goats. The men were sharpening their knives. The young boys crept closer for a front row seat. I forced myself to watch. It took the strength of 12 men to bring one bull to the ground. But they treated the animals humanely and with respect, inflicting as little pain as necessary. The Imam recited a prayer before slicing the throat of each animal. The hardest parts for me were the sounds. The cow gasping for breath. One goat in particular screaming so loud he sounded like a little kid who knew what was about to happen. But I grew a little through this experience. We in the West are so insulated from the realities of food preparation. Not everything in this world comes prewrapped in tidy little celophane packaging. And these animals, although they suffered briefly, did not live worthless lives. The meat they provided is enough to feed 400 families. And that makes my witness to a slaughter, as difficult as it was, worthwhile.
