BBC: Holy bullshit

A bunch of hindus in Carmarthenshire, Wales, own a cow (which they regard as taboo) that has contracted the bovine form of the infectious bacterial disease tuberculosis (TB). The local authority wants to destroy the animal as it poses a health risk to both humans and other livestock. The hindus disagree, and are mounting a legal challenge to the Welsh Assembly to prevent the authority from eliminating this health risk.

Speaking on behalf of Hindus at the temple, Swami Suryananda said they “understand and appreciate” the position with regards to public health and containing the spread of bovine TB.
BBC

There seems to be a missing “but…” here. The quote is available in full on the group’s web site:

We understand and appreciate DEFRA’s position with regards to public health and containing the spread of TB with the view to eliminate it from the national herd. We have been advised by our solicitors that there is provision both within the Animal Health Act 1981 and the more recent TB order Wales 2006 for permission to treat and vaccinate any animal identified as having TB with the prior consent of the minister for the national Assembly of Wales.
Skanda Vale web site

Oh, there’s definitely a “but…” missing.

As it stands, the Welsh Assembly has ordered the animal destroyed and in response the group has set up a web site petition, wevaluelife.org, to try to gather opposition to the cull.

Although the title of this web site (which I’m surprised wasn’t previously snaffled by anti-abortion activists) is an obvious appeal to emotion, I find this particularly odd: by refusing to submit to the local authority who, I’m sure, wouldn’t insist on destroying the animal on the premises, they are putting both their other livestock and the tens of thousands of pilgrims to their shrine (and hence the populations that these pilgrims come from) at risk of a potentially deadly infectious disease.

So, which wins out: special treatment for religious observance or eliminating a risk to public health? I know which one I choose.

More information over at the BBC

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