Activist calls on officials, media to protect, raise awareness of animal rights
By Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: Animal welfare is a crucial aspect of a just and compassionate society. It is our duty to ensure that animals are not subjected to any form of cruelty or exploitation. Animal rights refers to the belief that animals have inherent rights, just like humans do, and that those rights should be protected. An example of the main arguments for animal rights is that animals are capable of feeling pain and suffering, just like humans.
Therefore, it is our moral obligation to treat animals with compassion and not cause them unnecessary harm. This includes not only physical harm but also psychological harm, besides cruel actions such as poisoning stray animals, as it has become evident in Kuwait. Believing that just because they are not human does not mean that animals’ lives are any less valuable. Many organizations and individuals are working in Kuwait to raise awareness about this issue, such as Elika Mansouri, founder and volunteer of iCare Kuwait, a non-profit that rescues animals and calls for their rights.
Kuwait Times spoke to Mansouri, who speaks for those who cannot do it for themselves. Key challenges Treating animals ethically is an issue that requires our attention and action. Respect, kindness, and compassion should be core values; thus, people must ensure that animals are not subjected to any form of cruelty, exploitation or abuse, because taking animals’ rights into consideration is not just about protecting animals — it is also a reflection of our values as a society.
To reach this goal, Mansouri told Kuwait Times: “We need officials to create more strict laws against animal abuse in Kuwait and actually implement and reinforce them. We also need them to work closely with rescue groups and empower us to be the voice for the voiceless.” The media plays a major role in individuals’ and communities’ awareness to work together and promote greater understanding of animal rights issues in Kuwait. Mansouri suggested a few examples of ways to protect animal rights, focusing mainly on the media.
“We need news channels and media platforms to constantly push for animal rights and expose the most recent incidents on their platform. The more the topic is talked, about the more serious concern it becomes when it comes to animal rights issues,” she said. Thus, the media has a vital role to play in raising awareness about animal rights. By highlighting animal rights, the media can help inspire widespread changes that are essential for animal welfare.
Animal protection organizations will have more awareness, and consumers will make better choices, which will lead to better treatment of animals. Media platforms should continue to focus on spreading awareness about animal rights to initiate change and contribute to animal rights in Kuwait. Ethical alternatives According to Mansouri, providing shelter and putting an end to poisoning stray animals are two examples of ethical treatment towards animals.
“Once stray animals are treated humanely and ethically by officials, such as by spaying/neutering and vaccination, the community becomes more accepting and comfortable with regards to stray animals. The population control strategies are not clear and we have only seen poisoning in public. We have also seen unknown individuals taking puppies and dogs in traps to unknown destinations. There is no recognized public shelter for dogs in Kuwait, so the question remains: Where are they being taken to?” she asked.
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