During the festive season we know about spreading goodwill towards mankind but goodwill should be universal and spread to encompass everything on our planet. Below is an excerpt from a speech presented by the Princess Alia Foundation reminding us how kindness and understanding affects everything and everyone. A reminder of how we must always speak up for the ones who cannot speak for themselves.

I’m a firm believer in what we think is what we create. We all appreciate kindness from others. Kindness is described as a spontaneous gesture of goodwill towards someone or something – our fellow humans, the animal kingdom, and the kingdom of nature. Kind words and deeds are generated deep within all of us. When we carry out an act of kindness it is a message from one heart to another, an act of love, an unspoken “I care” statement. So why not visualise the world in which we want to live. With a shared vision, we can begin shape our thoughts. It is through our vision, the tool of our imagination, that we emit the energies that transform.

When ‘The Princess Alia Foundation’ attended the 2nd MENAW conference in Cairo on the 1-3 of March 2010, many different international organisations were represented leading to some very interesting discussions. The momentum of the conference is carried forward and all who care wish some positive results may be achieved.

Below I have an excerpt of the speech presented by the Princess Alia Foundation during the opening session of the conference: www.princessaliafoundation.org

The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) often related; ‘There was once a man walking along a road who became very thirsty. he found a well and so went down into it and drank from it. When he came out, he saw a dog which was panting and eating earth because of its thirst, and he said to himself, “this dog is as thirsty as I was”, so he went down into the well again, filled up his shoe with water, and holding it in his mouth, came up again and gave it to the dog to drink. God thanked him for this and forgave him his sins.’

As you are aware ethical treatment towards all animals is in fact very much a part of Islamic teachings. What Islamic teachings clearly are acknowledging is that animals feel. They feel pain, fear, joy and happiness; therefore animals matter and our treatment of them matters.

Islamic teachings do not suggest that animals deserve humane treatment because their presence improves our lives or increases our wealth – the case for humane treatment is based purely and simply on the fact that they are equally a part of creation.

With regards to legislation, any legislation passed must include all animals, regardless of the role that they play in our lives or financial interests. In other countries around the world livestock has been excluded from legislative protection– despite the fact that the suffering of animals raised to food is no different than any other animals. We must not allow the same mistake to be made in the Middle East. Our religion decrees that we have a responsibility to provide humane treatment to all of creation.

Clearly there is much work to be done to heal our relationship with all who share the world around us. But the arguments that we can present for change are compelling. Islamic teachings convey to us that it is not enough for us to be human beings – but more importantly we must be humane beings. A great deal of trust has been placed in us – and it is time for us to restore that faith. Treating those who are at our mercy with kindness and compassion evokes the finest elements of our humanity – treating them with indifference, cruelty and malevolence also harms us as human beings through rendering us less humane towards each other.

Our relationship with animals is such a privileged and powerful one. We have the capacity through kindness to evoke trust and loyalty – and we have the capacity through treating them cruelly to evoke fear and aggression. It is time to acknowledge that their judgment of us; their response to us, so clearly mirrors us and our humanity.

Even in the short time that the Princess Alia Foundation has been in operation it has become clear to us that representing the interests, of the voiceless, is perhaps one of the most challenging fields of service. It tests us at every level – and calls upon us to be strong, professional and strategic in our efforts to create change even when faced with the most obvious injustice and terrible suffering.

Whilst this work asks so much of all of us, the importance of this work and the overreaching benefits for all of creation cannot be understated. One only has to reflect on history to see that there has been an evolution of human thought taking place and an examination of every hard fought forward step taken is revealing. Humanity has been continually challenged to recognize and consider the interests of others – no matter how different they may be from us – different colour, different race, different religion.

Clearly, acknowledging the interests of animals presents humanity with the ultimate ethical test – because they are even more different from us – and – because they are at our mercy. But it is what we have in common that we need to remind all of. They share with us the ability to feel joy; they share with us the ability to suffer – and they- just like us- are part of creation.

Animals may be voiceless but their suffering is calling on the finest elements of our humanity to awaken; Our compassion, empathy and selflessness.

Our religion is one of mercy. It is now time for governments in the region to pass laws that will reflect, remind and reinforce these principles in our communities, so that wrongs can be righted – and respect and compassion can be restored towards all creation.

For when the time comes that we treat the powerless as precious, and do all in our power to protect them from harm, we will know that we have sought and found the best in ourselves. www.princessaliafoundation.org