In the early morning after the Eid prayers, many faithful Muslims run back home in anticipation of the annual animal slaughter for the Eid al-Adha festival. After the slaughter, which is carried on rooftops, in the streets and in garages, many of children and adults alike dip their hands in blood and leave handprints on walls and cars.
If you were to ask any elderly Egyptian where and how this ritual came about and its purpose, most would either shrug or say it ''pushes evilness away." This, however, is an unfounded superstition.
This ritual began back in 909-1171 during the Fatimid era and when the city of Cairo was created. The Fatimid caliph ordered the slaughter of large number of sheep and lamb as a declaration that Cairo was established. After the slaughter took place, people left traces of the blood as a sign of blessing.
How are children affected when they are allowed, and sometimes forced, to smear the blood of animal on their home?
According to Dr. Mark Bekoff, Professor of Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, children are instinctively curious and tend to be naturalists. They're able to retain information at exceptional rates and thus, it is only right to teach children to be kind, compassionate and empathetic toward animals. If that is not deeply instilled within a child at the early stages of life, animals, human beings and the environment will suffer.
The more disconnected children are from animals, the more likely they are to be violent toward human beings. Multiple studies were conducted to understand this phenomena, this connection between a child and animal, and all resulted in the same thing:
Without compassion towards animals, children will grow to be violent and harm not only animals and "lesser species" but they will prey on other human beings and the weak.
Studies show that quite simply, humans will hurt anything they perceive is less. That includes the weak, the poor, the needy, the broken and the animal.
In Egypt, there is an over abundance of violence. Violence that can only be justified to a human being that lacks empathy, connection and compassion. Adults on the other hand show other symptoms of disconnection.
Though they have become apathetic toward the suffering of an animal, otherwise they wouldn't have indulged in such rituals, they become even more apathetic and disillusioned. The lack of understanding and awareness proven by their demeanor toward their fellow human beings.
According to Canadian For Animal Welfare Reform or CFAWR, there are two types of animal cruelty. The first type is when a person is actively participating in causing harm to an animal and the second type is called passive animal cruelty and it is when an adult witnesses animal cruelty or harm done to an animal and remains passive.
Adults who fall into either categories are five times more likely to commit violent crimes toward their fellow human beings. Furthermore, clinical studies prove that disconnection toward sentient beings is one of the many symptoms of misbehavior. Meaning, adults who lack empathy towards animals are most likely violent towards human beings.
Not a shocker considering the violence witnessed on Egyptian streets.