http://cnsnews.com/blog/susan-jones/city-commissioner-blocks-muslim-sacrifice-goats-and-lambs ****
** ** City Commissioner Blocks Muslim Sacrifice of Goats and Lambs**** ** ** By Susan Jones <http://cnsnews.com/source/susan-jones>**** November 3, 2011**** Sunrise, Fla., Commissioner Sheila Alu single-handedly blocked a Muslim religious ceremony involving the sacrifice of goats and lambs set to take place on Sunday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-sunrise-politician-blocks-muslim-fest-20111102,0,1448563.story>on Thursday. "Yes, I was trying to stop it," Alu was quoted as saying. "It's shut down. I'm trying to protect innocent animals." She called the ritual inappropriate for a city as populated as Sunrise. The newspaper said Muslims from local mosques were planning to gather at a 45-acre farm in Sunrise to celebrate the Eid ul-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, which honors Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. Nezar Hamze, executive director of the South Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations, called Alu's decision "very upsetting" and "very disturbing." He told the newspaper that Muslims went through "proper channels" to get permission -- "and now it's off because a commissioner has a problem with it." Hamze was quoted as saying that the meat is sacrificed in a humane way -- a "slit on the throat real quick" -- as required by state and Islamic law. The Sun Sentinel article<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-sunrise-politician-blocks-muslim-fest-20111102,0,1448563.story>notes that a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court decision upheld animal sacrifices for religious purposes. "I have no ill will toward the Muslim faith," Alu told the newspaper. "I'm just an animal lover." -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
