Clerics rule besieged Damascus residents may eat dogs

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

A group of Syrian clerics have issued a ruling - or fatwa - allowing people living in besieged suburbs of Damascus to eat meat that is normally forbidden.

In a video, the Muslim clerics said people could eat cats, dogs and donkeys to stave off hunger.

The fatwa comes amid reports of starvation in the besieged, rebel-held Damascus suburb of Muadhamiya.

Aid agencies have urged the government to allow humanitarian supplies to the area, where many residents are trapped.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24532793

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The article goes on to say (emphasis mine)...

In a message to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha - normally a time for celebration and feasting - the religious leaders authorised those left in the Ghouta agricultural belt around Damascus to eat animals usually considered unfit for human consumption in Islam.

The clerics said it was a cry for help to the whole world, adding that if the situation continued to deteriorate, the living would have to eat the dead.

[cosmicone]

1. Melodrama

If the rebels cared about the people, they would leave and let government forces come in to restore law and order.

They won't get their Islamic republic -- so what? Lives would be saved.

[Turborama]

2. They're under siege, and have been for 2 1/2 years

Since, you know, way back when all this started and Syrian citizens were being slaughtered for peacefully protesting against the brutal regime they had had enough of.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13330069

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Syrian+Army+determined+to+quell+protests+amidst+calls+for+rally...-a0257443495

[cosmicone]

5. The protests have been religion related and not governance related.

Assad's regime is secular and sunnis don't have much say in it. Therefore, the protests were fueled and funded by the Saudi/Kuwaiti/Qatari wahabis who wanted power and weaken Iran's influence. They were joined by Mossad and Israel (Mossad probably used chemical weapons to draw America into the fight)

It is not about the quality of life of people but forming a sunni-style Islamic republic in order to oppress women and minorities. This is why most religious leaders of all religions/sects except sunnis support Bashar Assad.

We should not support Islamization of any country that has been secular.

[Turborama]

7. You obviously have a lot of catching up to do.

Here's a golden opportunity to, up to you whether you take it or not: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023664112#post4

[cosmicone]

9. Thank you.

I am not saying Assad is the Syrian Dalai Lama. My point is that Assad is the better of two bad choices, being secular and not misogynist. If the rebels win, it will be a Taliban style government that will kill shias, christians and others, oppress women and people won't be any better off.

This is why the Egyptian army kicked the brotherhood's ass, which was the right thing to do.

[MADem]

14. Why be binary about this in the first place?

The US favored a Yemen solution (and has favored one for two years or so at least), which would leave a secular government in place with Assad's VPs at the helm until elections could be held, with maybe a little UN Peacekeeping in the meanwhile, should that be needed, and only Assad (and perhaps his brutal, murdering brother) would need to leave.

So many folks just make arbitrary limitations on what can be done to solve the problem. It's not just ASSAD v. Islamists--there are other choices.

[Sunlei]

3. people mostly woman/children had been huddled in their basements for months.

Their neighborhoods are cut off. Likely have eaten anything they could or already bombed or starved to death.

religious passion always kills! Why don't the talking heads clerics walk in there and put their money where their mouths are!

[onehandle]

4. That's funny. The other day I suggested besieged Americans eat teabaggers. nt

[cosmicone]

6. I'd eat a donkey before a teabagger. n/t

[jberryhill]

8. Donkeys have a productive value, though

[cosmicone]

10. But I bet they are leaner, more tender and tastier than a teabagger. n/t

[KurtNYC]

11. "Run Toto, Run!"

[Marrah_G]

12. Like anyone watching their child starve is going to wait for a cleric to say it's okay

If you are starving, your family is starving, a human being will do almost anything to survive.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Yeah, I'd be surprised if there are many dogs left.

And if someone happened to raise a pig, it's bacon.

[Pterodactyl]

15. What about pigs? The article does not say.

[Turborama]

17. Probably because there wouldn't be any there in the 1st place

Might as well have said they can eat penguine, as well.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. Actually, I think there are some.

It is likely few, but probably similar to the situation in Israel, where Jews and Muslims can and do raise pigs and sell them.

[Pterodactyl]

19. I wonder if the Christian population there has pigs in its diet. Pork is a tasty, nutritious food.

And of course, bacon is awesome.

[Turborama]

21. Ghouta is an arable area, where they farmed cereals, vegetables, and fruits

Namely: Plum, poplar, and walnut trees, and cotton as well as maize, alfalfa, green barley, and green wheat.

Apparently, the water supply would make livestock farming nigh on impossible:

"This area includes a large variety of environmental problems, including water scarcity due to the extremely small annual precipitation. Water is so scarce there that there has been a rapid decline of the groundwater level in large parts of the Ghouta."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghouta

I just can't see them being able to farm pigs for the Christian districts of Damascus, even if they wanted to.

[Pterodactyl]

22. That's too bad.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Very sad.

I am surprised this wasn't already "built in" to the Qu'ran. Well, I guess it could be, I don't know that book well at all. Hopefully, more aid will reach those in need before we start to see massive outbreaks of diseases.

[Beacool]

20. Tea Party rules besieged government employees may eat dogs.

Potential headline if the shutdown had continued...........



As for Syria, my heart goes out to these people. They are being butchered while the West wrings its hands and wonders what to do about it.