Sacrificing Goats

The ancient Hebrews used to do this (that's what the Day of Atonement is all about - the scape-goat, etc. etc.) ; perhaps the Hebrews borrowed the custom from other ancient Middle-Eastern cultures, I don't know.  But to see that modern-day Islamists STILL do it, on a regular basis -- to ward off the evil eye!?!  Oh my.  How sad that the followers of Islam still believe that their God requires blood sacrifice from an innocent animal in order to perform "charity" and act as a protective mechanism.  Can someone please explain to me just what the differences are between the practices of ancient Judaism and modern Islam when ti comes to animal sacrifice?  And these people, of the same blood, are killing each other daily?  So much for their false gods.

Isis sent me this article - but not the sentiments written above.  She is far more civilized than I.

A Reuters report at Yahoo news:
Leader slaughters goats to ward off evil?
Wed Jan 27, 10:47 am ET
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has a black goat slaughtered at his house almost every day to ward off "evil eyes" and protect him from "black magic," a newspaper reported Wednesday.

A spokesman for the president told the Dawn newspaper the goats were slaughtered as an act of Sadaqah -- meaning "voluntary charity" in Islam whereby one gives out money or the meat of a slaughtered animal to the poor to win Allah's blessing and stave off misfortune.

"It has been an old practice of Mr Zardari to offer Sadaqah. He has been doing this for a long time," the spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, told the paper.

Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country where many of the well-off offer Sadaqah. Though Muslim, many people also follow certain superstitious practices.

Hundreds of goats had been sacrificed at Zardari's house since he was sworn in September 2008, the Dawn newspaper reported.

It said Zardari's detractors would see in his "new-found religiosity" a sign of nervousness in the face of growing woes.

Zardari, who rose to power after the assassination of his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in late 2007, has become increasingly unpopular and faces a range of problems from Islamist militancy to a stagnant economy and political rivalry.

A Supreme Court ruling last month throwing out an amnesty for Zardari, several top aides and thousands of political activists and government figures triggered a political storm and expectation that Zardari was on his way out.

(Reporting by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel)