For Immediate Release:
7 March 2002
Contact:
Jason Baker (0) 98201 22602
Ahmedabad—PETA, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) which normally limits its mission to stopping violence towards animals, is calling on all Indians to heed the prime minister’s message and shun violence to one another, saying violence begets violence. The group is urging people to ‘make food, not war’ and will be donating vegetarian food, including rice, dal and subzies, to the Nazar Ali Sayyed Ali Baba Mosque (Sadar Bazar), Swami Narayan Mandir Temple (Delhi Darbar) and C.N.I. Church (Victoria Garden) on Tuesday, 5 March, asking that they share a nonviolent diet with others.
PETA, which often quotes Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain and Buddhist sages on its Web site at www.petaindia.com, believes that Indians of all religions owe it to their great sacred traditions to practise kindness and compassion not only toward the ultimate innocents, the animals, but toward all beings including those of their own species. In fact, violence leads to the sort of strife, misery and suffering that all great religions wish to see come to an end.
Each of the great religious traditions hold holy teachings about being kind to animals as well as people.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: ‘All creatures are like a family of God: and He loves most those who are the most beneficent to His family.’ (Sahih Bukhari)
The Hindu religion teaches, ‘You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they are human, animal or whatever.’ (Yajur Veda, 12.32)
Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy in order to forge stronger.’ (Matthew 5:7)
PETA is asking that all who call themselves believers examine their own hatred and sit down to a vegetarian meal with one another in order to forge stronger bonds among our nations diverse communities of religions. A vegetarian meal has foods that are permitted and accepted by all believing members of Indian society, no matter what their religious affiliation
