By Vivianne Nantel
On March 15, 2005, the cries and moans of the most
adorable, precious baby harp seals were heard through
the voices of thousands of conscious people, echoing
from the four corners of the world, leaving these
kindred spirits hopeful to end once and for all the
insane violence of annual slaughter. Over 25 countries
joined forces in a grand protest of compassion, love and
kindness to speak up for the ones who cannot speak. Once
again this year, over 300,000 baby harp seals are
scheduled to be cruelly clubbed, bludgeoned, shot, and
skinned for their pelts, penis bones, and oil in the
Eastern Provinces of Canada by the end of March. Up to
42% of the babies are skinned alive as their mothers
howl in terror at the atrocities. Bathed in the blood of
their young, the parents attempt to escape the violent
oppressors or defend their babies. The resisting parents
are either shot or clubbed, and then skinned, while the
males have their penis bones removed. As parents
ourselves, such a scene brings up a well of boiling
emotions within the most inner core of our being. Our
souls naturally respond with rage, deep sadness and
anger in reaction to one country’s political agenda. Now
we need to convert these emotions into actions. His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama once said, “In our struggle for
freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.” And truth
often comes to the multitudes only by creating awareness
and expanding people’s consciousness via creative, bold
and courageous ways of educating the public.
In 2003, a new three-year plan was launched by the
Canadian government to coordinate and subsidize the
killing of almost 1 million seals. Some Newfoundlanders,
including the Minister of Natural Resources, are calling
for the eradication of the harp seals altogether.2 This
is the single largest and cruelest mass slaughter of
marine mammals in the world. It will be witnessed by the
world this year and in coming years only if each of us
does not urgently respond to the cries of the babies by
taking direct actions to stop this monstrous violence.
About 95% of these beautiful baby seals are only 12 days
to 3 months old when they are killed. One may wonder why
this horrific massacre of baby harp seals was not ended
long ago with the protests of Greenpeace, IFAW and even
Brigitte Bardot back in the 70’s.
The great exploitation, commercial slaughtering and
holocaust of harp seals is one of the most tragic,
inhumane chapters in mankind’s history. This complex and
long debated subject can be further explored in depth at
www.Harpseals.org. In it’s current aggressive and
deceptive campaign, the Canadian Government has made the
harp seals the perfect scapegoat in an attempt to
disguise its failure to manage and regulate what was
once a strong and healthy cod fish industry in the
Eastern provinces. The collapse of the cod fish industry
became inevitable after more than 50 years of
over-fishing in these areas. Although the amount of cod
fish that harp seals eat is debatable, what is not
debatable is the amount of testimony from credible
scientists and biologists, (that are not on the Canadian
government payroll) who have all agreed that harp seals
are not responsible for the fishing collapse, nor would
they prevent its revival.3
It is important to note that the majority of the
Canadian public now opposes the killing of seals4, yet
the Canadian government still subsidizes the sealing
industry. The modern day slaughter of seals is purely
based on deceptive political agendas, commercial greed,
egoistic motives and addiction to violence veiled behind
the false pretense of perpetuating a cultural tradition.
The importation of any marine mammal body parts is
illegal in the United States, and the importation of
white baby harp seal pelts was banned in Europe in 1986.
This was one of the great successes in the fight against
the seal slaughter in the ‘80’s. Nevertheless, the
killing never ceased; and today, the kill quota is at
its highest in recent history. This is due to the
highest pelt prices in years. Many furriers and fashion
giants are attempting new marketing strategies in other
countries and with other products in order to revive the
once struggling industry. Several Asian companies are
now purchasing seal penis bones as aprodiasics for a
growing market commonly known for utilizing rare and
endangered animal parts without sanctions.
Fortunately for the harp seals and humanity, the advent
of the information age, globalization, the internet and
the ever growing social justice movement of animal
rights have made it easier for a grand unification of
animal advocates, activists and international non-profit
organizations to unify against this barbaric slaughter.
This unification is growing by the minute, like nothing
we have seen before in the history of the animal rights
movement. People are finally starting to wake up to the
violence, cruelty and atrocities inflicted upon billions
of animals each year all over the world by many
industries-- fashion, factory farms, hunting,
animal-based entertainment, experimentation,
slaughtering houses, to name a few – just for profit or
pleasure.
The primary groups leading the seal liberation are: Sea
Shepherd Conservation Society, Harpseals.org,
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS), Environment Voters,
Animal Alliance of Canada, Global Action Network (GAN),
Friends of Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA), World Society for the Protection of
Animals (WSPA), Greenpeace, and Anima Naturalis
International. In addition, there are also numerous
other organizations involved and millions of individual
animal lovers, advocates and activists. (Visit
Harpseals.org for a complete list.)
As consumers we have a strong and powerful voice in
making choices and enormous differences in our physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual lives and also in all
animals’ lives and for the environment. Unfortunately,
most people are not even aware of it. Many people are
addicted to violence and have become desensitized to it.
Most have lost connection to their true spiritual
nature, and do not know it. Our souls are in need of
healing words and images. We live in an era where the
soul is crying out for love yet cannot even hear itself.
We are trapped in our own fabricated cage, yet have
wings to fly. We are drowning in the sea of misery, yet
we are the vast ocean of love.
Slavery of black people in this country went on over 200
years till the 13 amendment was added to the
constitution in 1865. Back then, African American men
were believed not to have feelings of pain, and women
not to be able to feel love for their children.
Caucasian men viewed African-Americans as inferior
species, just like animals and seals are viewed today by
their oppressors as beings incapable of loving their
young and not feeling pain, fear or grieve. Industries
and many individuals today regard animals as disposable
objects without any feelings and emotions, rather than
as divine beings, truly what they are…creatures of our
God of love and peace. All animals have brains and
nervous systems like us, which allow them to feel a full
range of emotions, especially pain, fear and even
terror. “The time will come” once expressed, Leonardo Da
Vinci, “when people such as I will look upon the murder
of animals as they now look upon the murder of human
beings.” Leonardo was ahead of his time, like all great
and evolved souls, reformers and abolitionists are. The
women’s rights movement also went on for several
centuries until women stood up and fought, but animals
cannot even utter one word and are dependant upon us for
their liberation.
Did you know animals are like children? Indeed, they are
our children given to us as precious blessing from God
to cherish, love, respect, and protect, not to torture,
cruelly abuse and destroy. Cruelty to animals is so
rampant in this world that it must be viewed as societal
violence and violence cannot be tolerated. Hatred is the
root of violence, and violence leads to specism, racism,
sexism, and genocy. Dr. King once said before being
assassinated, “The choice before us is no longer
violence or nonviolence; it is nonviolence or
nonexistence.” Animals are so innocent, spontaneous,
vulnerable and magical like children. Just imagine going
on the ice in Canada to hug a baby harp seal, and see
the light in their eyes; then you would feel the magic
of divine love.
I had a strong revelation a month ago regarding the
animals. A voice told me that animals are spiritual
tools of the Divine to help open people’s hearts and
help us reconnect with the oneness of this universal
creation and nature, and help us revive lost human
values such as compassion, love, kindness, honor,
worship, and respect. Even though we are all divine
children of one universal God, many do not follow any
spiritual path or any religious faith. If we cannot have
reverence, love, compassion and respect for these
creatures and nature, how can we have it for our fellow
brothers and sisters within our own communities, let
alone around world? How can we claim to follow a
religious path, and then commit acts of barbaric
violence? Expansion of consciousness starts with the
animals and nature, and seeing them as our equals. We
are not the superior species. To the contrary, we are
acting as the inferior one when we are inflicting
cruelties and atrocities on animals, or paying someone
else to do it for us, while forgetting our Divine nature
and the many blessings God provides us, such as the
power of will to choose from good or evil. Many souls
are suffocating to be liberated and be reconnected to
their true Divine nature. The oppressor’s hearts are
simply shut down.
In addition, the majority of people around the world
simply have no awareness of the atrocities and abuses
committed against animals; otherwise many more would
start taking actions. After one has seen and felt their
cries, there is no way back. A paradigm shift takes
place in one’s own consciousness. It is like God has
spoken to you directly; as if the spirit has gently
touched one’s soul with divine love. Being an awakened
individual, animal lover, activist or advocate is not
only about saving lives; it is also about justice, inner
and world peace, oneness, and about one’s own spiritual
journey, evolution and enlightenment. Worshipping all
animals is worshipping God, our creator. If we cannot
see God in nature and the animals, then how can we see
our creator in anything else? Today, there is violence
in the world because people are not taught to honor
life, to honor each other and all animals. We need to
revive these precious human values in our societies, and
learn to live again in harmony with nature. Honoring and
worshiping everything in this world is feeling connected
to our source, regardless of our religious or spiritual
background. Adoring God in all forms is divine love. His
holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from the Art of Living
Foundation once said, “One who is in love with God and
this entire universe would worship everything in this
universe. Because every little bit that is in this
existence is part of one divinity. The worshiper is
glorified, not what he worships, because the worshipper
exhibits the quality of consciousness. If you praise
someone, it is your generosity, your magnanimity that
comes through in the praise.”
Mahatma Ghandhi, another great soul and social reformer
of the 20th century like Dr. Martin Luther King was,
followed the philosophy of Ahimsa, of non-violence like
Jesus Christ taught it in his own time. Wasn’t Jesus
greatest teaching, the path of love? And when there is
love, how can there be violence? And the path of love is
also the light of all other great prophets, avatars and
saints such the Buddha, Krishna and Mohammed, etc. In
ancient times, the rishis (great sages) of the vedic
civilization viewed animals as sacred beings. They still
are. God is manifested in every atom of this universe.
So, it really does not matter what our spiritual path
and/or religion is, because the same thread connects us
all. We are one as waves of this cosmic ocean. When we
hurt someone, an animal or nature, we only are hurting
ourselves. When we let someone down, we are truly
letting ourselves down. For many of us, our temple
bodies have become the graveyard of dead tormented and
tortured corpses of animals. And on top of that, many
wear them in the disguise of fur coat, fur trim,
leather, suede and wool, and are putting on cosmetics
and products, which have been tested on tortured
animals. Many entertain themselves with bullfights,
circus, pit bull and coq fighting. Most people, as
consumers and taxpayers, do not even realize they are
paying others to commit great acts of violence on
animals
There are many actions one person can take in order to
make a big difference in the lives of the baby harp
seals and against any other acts of animal cruelty:
writing letters to officials & newspapers, demanding new
legislation, spreading the word to friends and
acquaintances, etc. However, the best thing one can do
now to speak up for the baby seals is act with your
purchasing power! Almost all sealers are fishermen.
Because this industry is so closely related to the harp
seal massacre, the most effective strategy to ensure a
complete end to the slaughtering of seals is a boycott
of Canadian seafood. Just by not eating or purchasing
any seafood coming from Canada and asking restaurants
and groceries stores in your area to stop purchasing
Canadian seafood, you can make a huge difference in
ending the violence of seal killing and will be sending
a peaceful message to the world that you won’t tolerate
violence. For more information and a complete list of
actions and seafood products to boycott, please visit
www.Harpseals.org.
People’s ignorance is the cause for mistreating animals,
and the very cause of human sufferance. The Divine
permeates every particle of this universe. Connecting
with nature and other animal species beside us is
discovering God, and discovering God is being in a
perpetual state of wonderment with every thing in this
universe. Mahatma Gandhi once said, ”The greatness of a
nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way
its animals are treated.” The Divine is resting right in
the sacred temple of our heart. Why don’t we all open
our heart to God’s creation? Love and joy awaits us! The
survival and welfare of the baby harp seals and all
other suffering animals depend on us. We are the voice
for these who cannot speak. Ultimately, it is for
humanity, our children and their children, and for the
love of our creator that we do this selfless service.
“The time is always right to do what is right,” once
expressed Dr. Martin Luther King. And as the Buddha said
so beautifully, "The greatest gain is to give." Can you
hear the cries of the baby harp seals telling you the
time is now?
1
http://www.infurmation.com/library/pdf/fielder01.pdf
2
http://www.harpseals.org/helpstop/protest/targets.html
3
http://www.imma.org/peteweb.html
4
http://www.ipsosreid.com/pdf/media/pr970904.PDF#search='harp
seal survey canadians oppose hunt'
Copyright 2005, Vivianne Nantel
Vivianne Nantel is a professional artist/painter,
freelance writer & poet, humanitarian, animal activist
and speaker. She is also a French Canadian who
volunteers for Harpseal.org. Vivianne and her husband
Michael, live in California with their six cats, Sri
Sri, Simba, Maya, Lila, Tina and Puja, and their two
dogs, Snowflake and Spirit.
WWW.VivianneNantel.com
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