On every Bakra Eid, all kinds of livestock throngs Karachi. The stench of these animals fills the air, besides they attract tremendous amount of flies - by their presence alone within the city is in itself a health-hazard. The entire city is turned into on gigantic cattle pen.
Just because it is a religious duty it does not necessarily mean that people should choose to ignore the various diseases which these animals are likely to suffer from. The livestock owners who bring them over to the city are desperate to get rid of them - either because they are suffering from some kind of disease or another or that they are too old. Some of these animals suffering from internal bleeding due to some injury or perhaps of some sort of disease.
Many livestock owners have their animals medicated, those medicines are in the bloodstream and some end up in the kidneys.
Some of these are so sick in order to make look healthy they are overdosed with drugs long enough to survive and be sold during Bakra Eid. Only someone who is a veterinarian would know the difference between a healthy animal and one who is suffering from some kind of ailment.
A government health certificate is next to useless, because government officials are bound to be bribed by the livestock owners. The government inspectors would issue health certificates just because they have received a heavy bribe. The livestock owners have enough money to this. They get paid back when they sell their animals at highly inflated prices.
(For some multimillionaires it is a matter of pride to purchase outrageously priced animals and show them off in front of their houses. )
The danger of purchasing diseased animals and the greatest danger of purchasing heavily drugged animals is that the meat of such animals becomes unsuitable for human consumption. The drugs in the animal are poison for humans. An unhealthy animal is also unsafe because there is the danger that the meat is unfit to eat.
But when faith comes before health, no one really cares. No one wants to listen to the warnings.
Just because it is a religious duty it does not necessarily mean that people should choose to ignore the various diseases which these animals are likely to suffer from. The livestock owners who bring them over to the city are desperate to get rid of them - either because they are suffering from some kind of disease or another or that they are too old. Some of these animals suffering from internal bleeding due to some injury or perhaps of some sort of disease.
Many livestock owners have their animals medicated, those medicines are in the bloodstream and some end up in the kidneys.
Some of these are so sick in order to make look healthy they are overdosed with drugs long enough to survive and be sold during Bakra Eid. Only someone who is a veterinarian would know the difference between a healthy animal and one who is suffering from some kind of ailment.
A government health certificate is next to useless, because government officials are bound to be bribed by the livestock owners. The government inspectors would issue health certificates just because they have received a heavy bribe. The livestock owners have enough money to this. They get paid back when they sell their animals at highly inflated prices.
(For some multimillionaires it is a matter of pride to purchase outrageously priced animals and show them off in front of their houses. )
The danger of purchasing diseased animals and the greatest danger of purchasing heavily drugged animals is that the meat of such animals becomes unsuitable for human consumption. The drugs in the animal are poison for humans. An unhealthy animal is also unsafe because there is the danger that the meat is unfit to eat.
But when faith comes before health, no one really cares. No one wants to listen to the warnings.
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