Critics for violating animal welfare in the cruel side of culture: Indonesian perspectives

Abstract

It is obviously true that traditions represent a critical piece of our culture. They help form the structure and foundation of our families and our society. They remind us that we are part of a history that defines our past, shapes who we are today and who we are likely to become. However becausethere is dogma to avoid danger of damaging the underpinning of our identity, traditional values are often deployed as an excuse to animal cruelty traditions. For example in some parts of Indonesia regions, where local traditions,in Indonesia, involving the painful death of animals enjoy state protection in which animals are intentionally sacrificed to honour those traditions.This can be valued as a polysemic phenomenon. There is no doubt that animals bring us enormous benefits; the question however is whether this justifies us using them without consideration of their intrinsic value. Then it should be noted that incidents of animal cruelty are often under reported due to society's negative perspective of this crime and because it is often a solitary, secretive activity others may not be aware of. Although the interests of animals often conflict with the demands of society, society remains responsible for the welfare of the animals involved. Considerations regarding animal welfare ought to be based on veterinary, scientific and ethological norms, but not on sentiment. And although animals do not have fundamental rights, human beings have certain moral obligations towards them.