1,400 Turkish animal sacrificers maim themselves
31 December 2006 by StardustIdiotic stories of the superstitious folks are endless. Here is yet another bizarre and amusing story that I found on Yahoo News that resembles something one might find in a production of Monty Python.
ANKARA, Turkey - Over a thousand Turks spent the first day of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha in emergency wards on Sunday after stabbing themselves or suffering other injuries while sacrificing startled animals.
At least 1,413 people — referred to as “amateur butchers” by the Turkish media — were treated at hospitals across the country, most suffering cuts to their hands and legs, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Four people were severely injured, crushed under the weight of large animals that fell on top of them, the agency reported. Another person was hurt when a crane used to lift an animal tumbled onto him, the agency said.
Three other people suffered heart attacks and died while trying to restrain animals, CNN-Turk television reported.
Muslims sacrifice cows, sheep, goats and bulls during the four-day religious holiday, a ritual commemorating the biblical account of God’s provision of a ram for Abraham to sacrifice as he was about to slay his son. They share the meat with friends, family and neighbors and give part of it to the poor.
Turkish authorities have introduced fines for those who slaughter animals outside facilities set up by local municipalities, but many Turks ignored the rules and sacrificed animals in their backyards or on roadsides.
31 December 2006, on 4:52 pm
Insh’Allah. It must have been “god’s will”. ROTFLMAO!
31 December 2006, on 5:20 pm
Lemme get this straight; believers offer up the equivalent of roadkill to their ultimate Big Magic Juju Guy? How long does the offering linger before it is, ah, taken up by the object of their universal affection?
Is there ever cause to remove the offering after a few days when the beloveds’ apparent satiation has convinced the priests that “while not directly consumable, the offering is deeply appreciated?”
Just curious.
31 December 2006, on 9:26 pm
The absurdities get to be too much sometimes even for the believers. And we are to respect these peoples opinions? OK you better pencil me in for a training on respect because I apparently do not get it.
31 December 2006, on 10:21 pm
As if a being that created an entire universe needs animals sacrificed to him in order to be happy.
I have a post on my blog about the health hazards involved with the haj to Mecca. Not only the people who die in stampedes, but the diseases that are transmitted when you have a hundred people sharing a tent.
1 January 2007, on 3:30 am
Three other people suffered heart attacks and died while trying to restrain animals, CNN-Turk television reported.
Guess GAW-DUH wasn’t too pleased with the quality of his gifts. Damn, someone needs to tell him about gift reciepts instead of letting him throw a hissy fit like that.
1 January 2007, on 4:15 am
Bullshit, Brain-dead, Barbaric, Bonkerdom!
B-B-BUT…
Happy New Year, youse guys!
1 January 2007, on 6:34 am
Watch out, Tommy, or some mad mullah will issue a fatwa ordering your death for being a kafir (unbeliever).
1 January 2007, on 7:08 am
God is very picky with animal sacrifaces. According to the Pentateuc, he wants lots of them, and he specifies in great detail which animals are acceptable and how the sacrifice needs to be performed. He even killed two of Aaron’s sons just because they offered him a fire not following his precise instructions.
Hence, we may assume that all this people’s being injured was cased by God due to their failure to properly perform the sacrificing ritual.
1 January 2007, on 2:52 pm
Just get Gawd a gift certificate to a steakhouse, maybe one of those upscale steakhouses where you get to choose your steak beforehand. That way, everybody’s happy!
1 January 2007, on 10:05 pm
Ha! A gift certificate to a steakhouse. Ha!
1 January 2007, on 11:02 pm
If a rose is a rose by any other name then does that mean that sacrifice is code for Bar-b-que?
2 January 2007, on 4:30 am
Human beings. Interesting.