Now, this is really disturbing. Just when the whole world was full of praises for the Japanese government for handling the tsunami?
And on the subject of whaling, so much attention had been drawn to the killing of whales on Faroe Island (self-governed province in Denmark) where it was done as a horrific and brutal sacrificial ritual to mark young men’s entry into adulthood: http://animalcare.my/2011/11/10/the-massacre-of-dolphins-in-denmark/
Further reads:
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/denmark-whaling.shtml
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/whale-killing-denmark.htm
And now, Japan? For the money?
This from from Avaaz:
Dear friends,
Right now, the Japanese whaling fleet is barrelling south to hunt thousands of majestic whales, escorted by a $30 million private security force paid for out of the tsunami disaster relief funds! The Japanese PM is already under enormous pressure for failing to help victims of the tsunami – a global outcry can shame him intousing relief money to save people, not kill whales — sign the petition, and forward to everyone:
Right now, the Japanese whaling fleet is barrelling south to hunt thousands of majestic whales, escorted by a 30 million dollar security force paid for out of the tsunami disaster relief fund!
Anti-whaling champions were successfully blocking the Japanese whale hunt — which is exactly why the Japanese government decided to swipe money from relief efforts to stop the activists from bothering the boats while they engage in their brutal slaughter.
If we can stop the whaling security and get the relief money back for desperate Japanese citizens still languishing in radioactive hotspots,we could help end the whale hunt for good. Japanese PM Noda is already under enormous pressure after scandalous failures to compensate victims of the nuclear disaster. A massive global outcry can spark outrage inside and outside Japan and force Noda to use precious relief funds to save people, not kill whales – sign the petition and forward to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/japan_disaster_funds_whaling_b/?vl
Whale hunting is astronomically expensive, and it’s made possible by ludicrous government subsidies amounting to $35,000 per whale! If these subsidies are cut back, the whaling industry could collapse. Now the Prime Minister will squander $30 million to provide private security for whale slaughterers to make sure they’re not bothered by environmental activists in the ocean. With the added muscle, Japan plans to kill 1,000 Minke whales for commercial meat sales this year.
Officials claim that whaling subsidies will support coastal communities hit by the tsunami — even though Japan has had to stockpile whale meat because so few people wish to consume it. All the while, the government has turned a blind eye to victims trapped in radiation hot-spots, with the few who are entitled to compensation pocketing a pitiful $1,000.
Let’s urge Prime Minister Noda to stop caving to the whaling lobby and spend relief money on the people who need it most: the victims — sign the urgent petition now, and forward widely:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/japan_disaster_funds_whaling_b/?vl
Last year, our community came together in record numbers, and we won the fight to keep a global ban on whaling. And last month, 130,000 Japanese Avaaz members joined together, pressing the government to use tsunami relief funds to protect radiation-exposed children by funding their evacuation from unsafe areas. Time and again we see how powerful lobby groups like the Japanese whaling lobby put profits before people and planet. And time and again, we stop them. Let’s do it again.
With hope and determination,
Stephanie, Jamie, Emma, Ricken, Morgan, Laura, Wissam, Wen-Hua and the rest of the Avaaz team
More Information:
BBC: “Japanese tsunami fund used for whaling programme”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16064002Guardian: “Japan whaling fleet accused of using tsunami disaster funds”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/07/japan-whaling-fleet-tsunami-earthquake-fundsLetter: “Greenpeace Japan and 15 other NGOs letter to Japanese government”
http://www.greenpeace.org/japan/Global/japan/pdf/2011_Japanese_NGO_statement_for_departure_English.pdfWSJ: “Use of Government Recovery Funds Stokes Japan Whaling Row”
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/12/08/use-of-recovery-funds-stokes-japan-whaling-row/
It is sad, isn’t it? Humans have no qualms about killing their fellow creatures for the sake of some ego-boosting ceremony (as in the case of the Faroe Island massacre) or for the sake of money (in the case of Japan).
You know what the whole problem is? It’s all about endorsing KILLING. To say that it’s okay to kill for some reason. THAT is the whole problem.
Can you imagine just how much better the world would be if everyone stops killing? Just that ONE single act of not killing can bring about so much more peace, harmony and happiness in the world.
Some argue that carnivorous animals kill for food. Yes, of course they do. They are carnivorous; they eat meat. That’s the law of the jungle.
But we are humans and we are supposed to have the capacity for more compassion and kindness.
And here, take a look at this:
“And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” -Genesis 1:29-31
Yes, you can find something like this is almost every religion. I know, because I did a cross-religious talk on kindness to animals at a Sikh temple five years ago.
The above probably does not apply to carnivorous animals, but it sure does apply to us humans.
And whatever it is, “Thou shalt not kill” is in almost every religion that I know. This ONE single principle, if put into practice, will make the world a better place. Just this one.
Is it so hard to put this into practice?
Is it so easy to kill another being? Does our moral conscience not bother us?
Is it so easy to direct others to kill on our behalf or support the killing that they do? Does our moral conscience not prick us?