{"id":109,"date":"2012-03-17T05:20:54","date_gmt":"2012-03-17T05:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/?p=109"},"modified":"2012-03-20T09:14:48","modified_gmt":"2012-03-20T09:14:48","slug":"inhumanity-of-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/?p=109","title":{"rendered":"Inhumanity of man"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Nothing is safe from the predatory instincts of man, neither animals, nor women, nor man himself. Creatures and fellow human beings are tortured, mutilated and variously put to death for food, for pleasure, to appease the gods, for service in after-life;\u00a0to grab and consolidate power, to punish and to avenge; or to satisfy sexual lust.<\/em><\/p>\n

Man against beast<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

According to a news report, Indian scientists have announced plans to use cloning technology to return the subcontinent\u2019s cheetahs, which became extinct in 1947 when the last three, a mother and her two male cubs, were shot by a maharajah during a hunting expedition.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My immediate reaction to reading this piece of news was that someone ought to have shot the maharajah.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s because, like the maharajah, I am a man too. He shot the poor cheetah and her cubs for pleasure, and I would have him shot to avenge the shootings, because I can\u2019t stand murder!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Maharajah was merely enjoying himself, hunting for pleasure.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It was quite common not so long ago to have oneself photographed, smiling and holding a gun, with one foot firmly resting on the limp body of a freshly-killed tiger or a lion. It was a thing to remember and went a long way in enhancing one\u2019s social standing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It is amazing what men (I deliberately use the word in its masculine form) will do for their sporting and eating pleasure, to satisfy their lust and ego, and for revenge, inflicting pain and death on other creatures and fellow human beings and causing havoc to mother earth. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hunting is the most common of the \u201cblood sports,\u201d defined as \u201csports in which a quarry is hunted and killed or a spectacle is made of an animal being killed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Among these are bull-baiting, bull-fighting, bear-baiting, cock-fighting, badger-baiting and fox-hunting. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Bearbaiting was once popular in <\/span>Europe<\/span> and is still practiced in some Asian and African countries.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A bear, sometimes blinded, is chained to a stake in a bear pit and dogs are let loose to attack it, many being killed by the bear, which itself suffers grievous injuries.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Cockfighting, illegal in <\/span>Britain<\/span> since 1849, is still popular in certain parts of the world, including the subcontinent.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It draws vast crowds in the <\/span>Philippines<\/span>, where it attracts heavy wagering. It involves two or more gamecocks fighting each other, often to the death.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The cocks are carefully bred and trained, equipped with steel or bone spurs on their legs and set against each other in a cockpit.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Foxhunting is still legal in <\/span>Britain<\/span> in spite of the efforts of the League against Cruel Sports.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Described by Oscar Wilde as \u201cthe unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable,\u201d it involves huntsmen on horseback with a pack of 20-30 foxhounds in pursuit of a fox.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0When the \u201cuneatable\u201d is pursued with such ferocity, woe betide a creature that appeals to man\u2019s palate or is unfortunately credited with raising his libido.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is now routine for many animal species to be farmed and butchered on an industrial scale to provide meat on our dining tables, but in many parts of the world snails, frogs, snakes, even monkeys, cats, dogs and a motley other creatures are considered culinary delights.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>In <\/span>Japan<\/span>, monkey\u2019s brain is extracted and eaten raw while the hapless creature is alive, held in a tight brace.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>In some parts of <\/span>Nigeria<\/span>, dogs are roasted alive over an open fire in the belief that it makes their meat tastier.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oceans have been depleted of some species of fish; others are endangered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Man\u2019s insatiable quest for aphrodisiacs has led to a demand for bear paw, shark fin and rhino horn, resulting in colossal cruelty to these animals and the threat of their extinction. Even the male genitals of some animals are devoured to enhance potency.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Given that most of them will end up under the butcher\u2019s knife or fall prey to a poacher\u2019s greed or a hunter\u2019s passion, extinction probably means liberation for many a specie.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fellow humans have not escaped man\u2019s lust for perverse pleasure. The practice of foot binding began in <\/span>China<\/span> during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), reportedly to imitate an imperial concubine who was required to dance with her feet bound.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>By the 12<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, the practice was widespread and more severe \u2013 the girl’s feet were bound so tightly and early in life that they were unable to dance and had difficulty walking, essentially crippling them. As only rich people could afford having nonproductive girls, foot binding was viewed as a show of wealth.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It was banned early last century.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For many centuries eunuchs \u2013 castrated human males \u2013 were in great demand everywhere as \u201cbed keepers.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The English word eunuch is from the Greek <\/span>eune<\/em><\/span> (“<\/span><\/span>bed<\/span><\/a>“) and <\/span>ekhein<\/em><\/span> (“to keep”), effectively “bed keeper\u201d. This indicates the traditional role of the eunuch\u2014as a reliable keeper of a ruler’s <\/span><\/span>harem<\/span><\/a>. Kings and sultans could trust neither the fidelity of the women of their harems nor their male guards.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Other servants or slaves were also castrated in order to make them ‘safer,’ either in childhood or later.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Capturing and castrating boys to meet the demand for eunuchs was a roaring business in some parts of the world.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0In ancient <\/span>Rome<\/span>, gladiatorial shows were entertainment.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Held in specially built amphitheatres, they involved slaves, prisoners of war, condemned criminals, or volunteers, who fought to the death unless the audience spared the loser.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Their popularity was so high that statesmen sponsored shows to enhance their political prestige<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Ritualistic animal sacrifice is a part of many established religions as well as animist cultures.\u00a0 <\/span>Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. Victims were ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease <\/span>gods<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>spirit<\/span><\/a>s. On very rare occasions human sacrifices still occur today.\u00a0 <\/span>Reasons for human sacrifice include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n