YOURSAY 'Slaughtering animals for sacrifice on this Muslim religious day is fully accepted by all Malaysians. But the location is not appropriate.'

Principal defends cow slaughter in school

Headhunter: Religion aside, a school is no place to slaughter an animal, especially a cow which is not small. One can imagine the effect of its cries and the sight of blood on young children.

If the principal says it is okay to carry out such slaughter in his school then I think he has got to have his head examined. Even slaughtering a chicken in front of children will have a chilling effect on them.

My Opinion: SK Puchong Jaya principal Mohd Amin Bahari, what do you mean by "consulted the teachers"? How many Malay teachers are there at your school? Almost all of them, right? And how many non-Malays dare to challenge the headmaster for fear of punishment?

And honestly, how many Chinese bother about these religious rituals and are willing to risk their heads for the Indians? Why didn't you consult the Indian community or the Indian students' parents?

Anthony John: Slaughtering animals for sacrifice on this Muslim religious day is fully accepted by all Malaysians. But the location in this instance is not appropriate. Simple!

JBond: This is part of a bigger picture of telling the non-Malays, we are the ‘tuan' (bosses) and we can do what we want whether you like it or not. If you don't like it, you can go back to where your ancestors came from.

Mohamad Abdul Malik: Slaughtering cows on the eve of Hari Raya Aidiladha is mandatory for Muslims. I do not think that it is right for others to criticise Muslims for acting in accordance to their religion.

Likewise, we Muslims too should not criticise the practices of other religions even if we personally think it's not right.

Of course when you kill a mosquito that bites you on your nose, you could classify this as 'murder' too. So we should see things in their proper perspective.

Lionking: It is not a question of insulting other religions but is it necessary to do this in a school environment? Surely this could be done in a proper and hygienic place.

Schools are not slaughterhouses and why should the children be subjected to all the noise and blood?

Gen2indian: No one is disputing the fact that Islam requires the sacrificial slaughter to be carried out. If the teachers and students were asked not to "see" the slaughter, fine, but one can always "hear" the slaughter being carried out.

Apapunboleh: Religious rituals shouldn't be done in schools. Don't set a precedent.

Norman Fernandez: "So that, young people can understand it," said the headmaster.

So, come Good Friday, can we have a re-enactment of the passion of Christ, and students can understand the real meaning of Easter?

Anonymous #039163649: I advise Malaysiakini not to go to town with this slaughter issue, it does not augur well. Body snatching at funerals and infant snatching when after the conversion of a parent are legitimate issues.

However, people practicing their culture of slaughtering cows as part of the dominant official religion should not be an issue. Let us not look for extra trouble than we already have.

Are non-Muslims next going to question the existence of suraus in schools, saying that it is a school and not a place of prayer. Let us respect that Islam is the official religion of the country, and let us build harmony and peace and not look for trouble.

Geronimo: Slaughtering a cow during Hari Raya Korban should have been done at a mosque or surau, period, since it is a religious activity. If this is not highlighted that it has been done at a school, who knows the next venue could be a supermarket.

Today, many Malay Muslim children go to Chinese schools. What if such schools decided to celebrate some religious festivities where pigs are being made as offerings though not necessarily being slaughtered? Come on, there is a place for everything.

Odin: To me, it is not so much a matter of offending the sensitivities of Hindus or subjecting children to a traumatic experience but more of social etiquette or decorum, of not doing something at an inappropriate place.

Slaughtering animals on school premises, especially during school hours, can be likened to holding a disco party in a house of worship. It isn't the done thing - not in civilised societies, anyway.

Hill: It's not the headmaster's fault alone. The Education Ministry must be held responsible for this too.

When I called the Education Ministry whether cow slaughter is allowed in schools, the answer was "Malaysia adalah negara Islam dan memang dibenarkan" (Malaysia is a Muslim country and it is allowed).

I was speechless but have resigned to accept the fact. This is only the beginning and in long run, I can't see a promising future for non-Muslims if BN continues to rule.

Plainly: A public school is not an abattoir or a place of worship to carry out religious rites. There's really no harm in exercising a little common sense.

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