The Jordan Times' Compassion towards Animals

It is not often regular to see daily newspapers in the Arab World focusing on environmental issues in their editorials, let alone the welfare of animals. It was a welcome change to the better as the Jordan Times decided to run an editorial on "compassion to animals" in its Friday 23rd edition. As the Jordan Times has not managed to developed a online archive for its articles I will post the whole editorial here. Enjoy and be compassionate

The launching of the Humane Centre for Animal Welfare (HCAW) to raise awareness about animal rights is a welcome move.

Compassionate treatment of quadrupeds is not exactly enshrined in our culture, despite the fact that Islam extends protection to animals and promotes kindness to them. The Prophet Mohammad said that giving water to a thirsty animal is enough to secure a person a place in paradise. Yet many among us still treat animals with cruelty.

The establishment of HCAW, through direct aid and support of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, is therefore a step in the right direction.

As with campaigns to raise awareness about human rights in the country at all levels, beginning with schools, educational campaigns are needed to promote and protect animal rights. What better way to start such a drive than inculcating compassion for animals in children at early school levels?

There is need for a code of conduct, for guidelines and laws pertaining to the treatment of animals. There is very little in the national legislation on animals’ rights. As such, additional laws on animal rights across the board will have to be enacted.

Animals are God’s creatures and cruelty to them is no less sinful than cruelty to and ill-treatment of people. For bad behaviour towards animals, people should be made accountable.

There is no case law on animal protection in the country, because the issue of animal cruelty is not accorded sufficient attention.

The government and national institutions should initiate seminars and convene conferences on how to strengthen the laws on animal rights so that they are not mistreated.

Some societies and movements to protect animals go as far as wanting to include animals within the moral community, by giving their basic interests, like avoidance of suffering, the same consideration they give human beings; they even want them to be regarded as legal persons.

Animal law courses are taught in many US law schools. Such preoccupation is laudable. We have still a long way to go to reach there, and maybe shouldn’t target such a distant goal. But ethical treatment of animals is the least we can offer in this day and age.