Fwd: Save Bull From State-Ordered Slaughter

May 11, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------Hindu Council UK Admin <HCAdmin

May 10, 2007 9:12 PMSave Bull From State-Ordered SlaughterHCUK Network/Associates <members

Dear All,

Please find below a press release from Skanda Vale Temple in Wales and support their petition to save Bull from intended slaughter. Find below a link where you can e-mail your local representatives your views and comments. This site gives you an opportunity to lobby your representatives directly about the Shambo the Skanda Vale sacred bull.Petition as many representatives as you can to save the unnecessary " murder " of a living creature.

http://www.writetothem.com/

You can copy and paste the following text;

I as a Hindu am totally opposed to the unnecessary destruction of Shambo at the Skanda Vale sanctuary and as my representative I am asking you to lobby the Welsh Assembly to withdraw the destruction order.

The right of worship is enshrined in the Human Rights Act and the " murder " of Shambo with directly take away the rights of Hindus to worship Shambo as divine in a manner prescribed in the Scriptures.

Harshad Joshi

Executive Member

Note : Hindu Council UK is a national network of the Hindu temple bodies and cultural organisations co-ordinating all different schools of Hindu theology within the UK

HCUK Admin Office:Boardman House, 64 The Broadway, London E15 1NG. T: 020 8432 0400 W:

www.hinducounciluk.org F: 020 8432 0393

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UK Temple Seeks To Save Bull From State-Ordered Slaughter

www.skandavale.org

CARMARTHEN, WALES, UK, May 6, 2007: HPI received the following appeal from the Skanda Vale Temple in Wales: " I am writing on behalf of Skanda Vale Temple seeking your urgent assistance in helping the Temple save the life of one of our bulls, Shambo. He is currently threatened with slaughter on May 14, 2007, by the government organization DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). The reason for this is that he has reacted positive to a bovine test for tuberculosis. It is government policy to kill all 'reactor animals' who so test positive. The test is not 100% accurate, and he is currently a very healthy animal. None of the rest of our herd of 40 cattle and water buffalo is infected. We have three temples at our monastery, Sri Ranganatha Temple, Maha Kali Temple and Lord Subramanium Temple. We embrace Sanatana Dharma. The 25 residents of the monastic community live in service to life following karma yoga and bhakta yoga. We have approximately 90,000 pilgrims visit a year and are committed to worshiping Almighty God in his Universality.

" We have engaged solicitors to seek an urgent injunction to prevent the slaughter and have suggested a solution to DEFRA to address the concerns of animal and human health. They have refused to use the discretion they have under UK law not to slaughter. Under the Animal Health Act 1981 Section 34: 'The minister may, notwithstanding anything in this Act, reserve for observation and treatment an animal liable to be slaughtered under this Act at his direction.'

" We believe it would be an act of desecration of the Hindu religion if they were to slaughter a temple cow or bull. We have isolated Shambo and have made him a secure home inside an area of our main Subramanium Temple. He is, after all, Nandi, the vahana of Lord Siva. Lord Subramanium as commander of the heavenly forces is the Shakti of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. We need the assistance of Hindu organizations to put urgent pressure to find a solution. Maybe the government of India or Nepal could help. We require assistance.

" Go to our website at URL above for more information. Time is short. "