Get rid of Speciesism

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 15 February 2025 “Debotva aachhe proti hridaye Aami maani na shudhu manush ee bhagoban hote paare." (Either all are divine or none are; I don't believe in the unique divinity of a human's soul) Kobi Nazrul Islam "Khuda hum ko aisi khudai na de Ke apne siwa kuchh dikhai na de” Bashir Badr (God mustn't bestow such invincibility upon humans that we can't see anything beyond) "Man is a deluded creature who always thinks that he's born to rule and dictate." Roman emperor and philosopher (indeed a rare combination!) Marcus Aurelius (121 CE -180 CE) rightly opined this two millenniums ago. This human delusion has assumed dangerous proportions in these times when man is on a rampaging spree, destructing and devouring not just his fellow (human) beings but all those he fallaciously perceives as inferior to him. The religio-scriptural belief that a human is Ashraf-ul-makhlooqat (The best of all creations) has made him believe that, “I’m the monarch of all I survey." The patently erroneous and deeply embedded misconception that Nature (sorry, no god or khuda) has made humans as the undisputed supreme being who can extirpate and eliminate other species at will, has given the modern concept of Speciesism. The term 'Speciesism' is used in philosophy regarding the treatment of individuals of different species. The term has several different definitions. Some specifically define speciesism as discrimination or unjustified treatment based on an individual's species membership, while others define it as differential treatment without regard to whether the treatment is justified or not. Richard D Ryder, who coined the term, defined it as "a prejudice or attitude of bias in favour of the interests of members of one's own species and against those of members of other species". Speciesism results in the belief that humans have the right to use non-human animals in exploitative ways which is pervasive in modern society. Studies from 2015 and 2019 suggest that people who support animal exploitation also tend to have intersectional bias that encapsulates and endorses racist, sexist, and other prejudicial views, which furthers the beliefs in human supremacy and group dominance to justify systems of inequality and oppression. While Speciesism might sound an altogether new idea or a doctrine, to be precise, it has been in existence for a pretty long time. The great Persian mystic Hakim Sanai wrote centuries ago, “Humans must learn to co-exist with all creatures" and Anwari said the same thing a millennium ago that "Hubristic humans are threats to all creatures and non-human animals." In fact, all mystics believed that the very concept of equality and egalitarianism could be fully understood and realized only when humans could accept the most exalted truth (Ghanima in old Arabic) that even a leaf, an ant and a branch of a tree had a pure essence and spirit (Dizaaf in Ottoman Turkish) as sacred as a human spirit. In other words, it's not enough to establish equality and egalitarianism among humans but there should be seamless equality and a spirit of relatable empathy among all and sundry. The Eastern metaphysics of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam also speaks of a comprehensive totality of empathetic exaltation that transcends humans and encompasses all in its fold (Audarya Parivyaptam). How can we be condescending or disparaging to any other species on the planet earth? Never forget that Har zarra chamkta hai anwaar-e-Ilahi se (Every particle glitters with the effulgence of divinity). The problem with humans is their ingrained condescension. Even in our so-called love for animals and other species, there's always an element of pontification that can be equated with Rudyard Kipling's downright pejorative poetic phrase of The White Man's Burden (!). Who has given us the right to treat animals the way we've been treating them right from the dawn of human civilization? It must be mentioned that the proper treatment of animals is a very old question in the West. Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers debated the place of animals in human morality. The Pythagoreans (6th–4th century bce) and the Neoplatonists (3rd–6th century ce) urged respect for animals’ interests, primarily because they believed in the transmigration of souls between human and animal bodies. In his biological writings, Aristotle (384–322 bce) repeatedly suggested that animals lived for their own sake, but his claim in the Politics that nature made all animals for the sake of humans was unfortunately destined to become his most influential statement on the subject. Humans call themselves to be the most exalted and also ethical beings. Are we? Jalaluddin Rumi says in Pahlavi, 'Shadeed-az-kwa nee ast munazin/Ya rafeer ul-qist amnazeer/Choon ke ast shadaaz raftam ke azdaan/Wahen ul-khirama, za dizt'un bu'azir'? (I've existence and I value it so much/So have all the beings on earth and they too, try to preserve it/ Then, how can I kill even the tiniest creature/Just to satiate my palate?). Rumi went on to say that all lives were sacred: Taa'shif nifaak b'astz sang (Even a seemingly lifeless stone has a degree of consciousness; respect it). Like all mystics, esp. Rabia Basri, Rumi was a staunch vegetarian and shunned even milk and milk products (Sheer mun-haraam nuzt: To me, even milk is forbidden). He even refrained from sacrificing animal/s as an Islamic ritual on Eid-Al-Azha (Bakrid). Our values, ethics and sense of morality disappear into thin air when it comes to treating animals. Since we've not been able to treat every creature, every being as equal, we've not been able to treat humans in an equal and egalitarian manner. Our rampant exploitation, nay depredation, of nature is a manifestation of our Speciesism and belief in being the apogee of all creations. See, what religious nonsense is going on during the ongoing Maha Kumbh? Crores of 'devout' people are defiling and desecrating the river Ganga by diving into it continuously whether it's the PM or a peasant. The reason being our misconception that we're 'spiritually' advanced, alive and aware. A couple of months ago, an environmentalist wrote that the widespread defilement of the water of Ganga might create a huge problem for the endangered Ganges river dolphins (Platanista Gangetica). But who cares? Do you get to see sparrows (Goraiya in Hindi) in a city? Rapid urbanization has eliminated these cute and tiny birds to the point of being extinct. White-necked vultures, nature's most efficient scavengers, are facing near extinction. To quote a famous American comedian and actor, “Man must never consider himself to be light years better than other animals. He's just an upright animal. So, he must be compassionate to all his slightly underprivileged animal species." Yet, we seem to be too arrogant to care for all other creatures and species. This is extreme selfishness which is proving to be a nemesis for all. Note: An abridged version of this article appeared in the Times of India (February 10 2025). … A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/speciesism-marcus-aurelius-vasudhaiv-kutumbakam-jalaluddin-rumi/d/134626 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism