I forget how I stumbled upon these two examples of Saudi men torturing street cats. There seems to be quite a few street cats in Saudi Arabia. My research indicates a callous attitude towards feral cats in line with what Ahsan says about the attitude of many Pakistanis in Pakistan towards their feral cats. Note: Ahsan is a former contributor to PoC but he’s no good either in my opinion.
The Saudi legal system does not recognise the concept of animal welfare and protection through law.
There are two videos of two different Saudi men torturing different street cats. I won’t show the videos because they are too upsetting and I believe that watching people being cruel to cats is unhealthy for us. It can damage us if you are sensitive towards the welfare of animals. However, I will provide some screenshots and a description of what happened. The screenshots are not grisly and nasty. I’ve deliberately selected ones which are not upsetting. I watched one of the videos (plastic bag on cat) but not the other (the one of a cat having its tail cut off).
Street Cat with Bag Stuck on Its Head
In this video there are 2 young Saudi Arabian men in a car and they see a street cat at the side of the road with a bag stuck on his/her head. It appears to be a bag that once contained a convenience food for humans such as crisps. The cat is unable to get the bag off and it may have been stuck on for some time. It is clear that the cat was searching for food at the bottom of the bag and was unable to remove his head from the bag. The cat was therefore blind but managed to manoeuvre around the streets, nonetheless.
When the Saudi men see the cat the driver stops the car, gets out and walks towards the cat. The young Saudi man is laughing as he does so and laughs louder when the cat hearing the approaching footsteps runs off. As the cat has to run to escape what he perceives as a danger he is unable to ensure that he does not run into things. As a result, the cat runs into many objects quite forcefully which must have been very painful and which may have injured the cat’s head. The Saudi man laughs at this.
The young Saudi man, laughing as he does so, walks after the cat while the cat, in terror, continues to run away from him. Eventually the cat ends up in a confined area where he is trapped and can no longer move at which point the Saudi man very quickly pulls the bag from the cat’s head. The cat runs off into the street and hides under a car. That is the description of the video.
It is difficult to say that this Saudi man was torturing this poor cat – a mainly white cat, by the way, with dark large blobs of color. The description below the video on you Tube and in comments is that he was torturing the cat but it is clear that he was trying to approach the cat to get the bag off his head.
The very unpleasant bit about the video is that the Saudi man laughs all the time indicating that he finds the terrifying ordeal of the cat amusing. It is a stark callousness indicating a total disregard for animal welfare. It tends to indicate to me that the average young Saudi man living in Saudi Arabia perceives street cats as pests and vermin.
Saudi Man Cuts Tail off Cat
Note: I think the word “cutting” is inaccurate as this insensitive Saudi idiot is using a car wrench of some sort which presumable smashes the tail.
As mentioned, I have not watched this video. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it but the opening screenshot of the video (see below) tells me all I need to know and there is a short caption below the video which tells us that a Saudi boy films a Saudi man cutting off the tail of a cat because the cat damaged his car fan.
No doubt the cat, as is commonplace, was inside the engine compartment of the car and when the car started up the cooling fan struck the cat both injuring the cat and damaging the car fan at the same time. Most people would view this is in a completely opposite manner to which the Saudi man regarded it.
He sees it as a cat damaging his car. Most people would see a car damaging a cat. It is quite an interesting diametrically opposite way of seeing things. It indicates to me, once again, that in Saudi Arabia men and perhaps women perceive the street cat as a pest and a nuisance to be gotten rid of. It would be wrong of me to generalize and therefore I would have to say that there are probably many Saudi citizens who are sensitive towards the plight of the street cat but in general I see a callous, uncaring and insensitive attitude towards feral cats.
In this video, this Saudi man obviously did torture the unfortunate cat. No doubt the police did nothing about it.
General Attitude of Saudis Towards Street Cats?
Well, there are at least two petitions on petition websites: Stop the brutal abuse in Saudi Arabia. The petitioner on one site states that the street cats are being hunted and tortured in a lot of inhumane ways.
Personally, I have seen some horrendous photos of street cats who have hurt themselves badly (their faces are badly damaged – heading picture) in trying to escape cages where they are not feed or watered. This is Saudi torture of cats no more no less. Shame on you.
My online research tells me that there are no animal welfare laws in Saudi Arabia (KSA) and that animals in general are liable to be mistreated. This isn’t just about cats. It is extraordinary that the Saudi legal system does not recognise the concept of animal welfare and protection through law. This is a serious failure.
A little while ago there was a ban on the sale of cats and dogs in shops in Saudi Arabia. It followed a religious edict by the Ifta Council (religious police). Also walking dogs and cats was banned. The reason? To stop men using pets to pick up women. We know how sexist Saudi Arabia is towards women. This is an example. The deeming way women are treated is linked to the cruelty meted out to animals. It is male human ignorance and arrogance.
Conservative Muslims regard the dog as unclean (this is speciesism – a form of animal racism). And they consider it an insidious Western influence for young men to flaunt their dogs in public. “This is blind emulation of the infidels.”
But why bring the cat into this strict law when it is common knowledge that the Prophet Mohammed loved cats. The attitude towards cats should be good but clearly isn’t.
Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.
I’m mystified that anyone would percieve someone taking the time to chase after a cat & remove a bag from its head as “torture”.
As for the laughter – it is not too difficult for empathic forgiving loving people to comprehend that someone might find a cat w/ a bag on its head cute & funny. I have seen people laugh at this in real life before rescuing their cat or dog from their predicament. Really people? The Arab gentleman is *evil* for rescuing the cat? Wow.
Arabs LOVE cats. This has been true for thousands of years. Including keeping them in shops to kill mice etc. In Egypt cats were mummified. This is still evident today. They are seen as clean & intelligent & useful for hunting vermin. (As opposed to being seen AS vermin as described – lied about – here).
However – as in Sicily – most people think it is cruel & unatural to castrate male cats (& fix female cats though the latter does not come up as much in conversation). Hence when male kittens grow up & start spraying they can no longer be kept in the home or in shops & are left outside. Female cats ARE kept inside – as are kittens. (I do not agree w/ this btw but when I was in Italy in the 80s I could not influence people to change their minds about this serious matter. It may be better there now).
What you have written about dogs is an old anti-Arab trope. There are many intensely loved & valued dogs kept by Arabs. Salukis are proudly bred & doted on. (Traditional hunting dog). Then there are the traditional sheparding dogs kept by Bedouin & farmers (Fellahin) to guard sheep & livestock.
What is misunderstood & what I believe is the origin of the misunderstanding in the West (aside from Orientalism & racism toward Arabs) is that because dogs are not allowed in the house they are erroneously percieved to be despised. Firstly: it is warm there so the dogs are comfortable outside. Second: as with other Asian people; traditionally we sleep on the floor & eat sitting on the floor (on beautiful carpets & mattresses like futons that get rolled up & stored in or on an armoir etc.). For these reasons of course dogs are perceived as “dirty”. (Compared to cats & of course humans).
It is no different than in Japan (for only one example) yet it is ONLY Arabs that are spoken about (by Americans etc.) regarding these lies about how they/we feel about dogs & cats. This is NOT a coincidence. Frankly it is getting really tiring. If you watch the Westminster dog show you will see all the various purebred dog breeds that have been lovingly bred & raised by Arabs & the Syrian peoples (Palestinians & Syrians & Lebanese etc.) through tens of centuries & finally passed on to the rest of the world. This was not accomplished by people who “hate dogs”. And the extreme love – bordering on worship at various points in history – that Arabs have for cats has been written about & painted & photographed & admired by countless authors & artists over the years. Our great love for cats is almost a trope in itself.
I suggest that people here read about the various Arab & Syrian dog breeds & the history of cats there & the actual reasons there are hungry cats roaming around (as stated it is for the same reasons as in Sicily) – before relying on typical anti-Arab bashing. I would also suggest you read the book ‘Orientalism’ by the late scholar & professor Edward Said; to understand the underpinnings of your erroneous sentiments toward ‘Arabs’. And also the books ‘The TV Arab’ & ‘Reel Bad Arabs’ by Jack Shaheen who recently passed & which was made into a documentary of the same name. These will illuminate you about the origins of your anti-Arabism.
The comments here are astonishing. “Build a wall around” a country? Really? Arabs “hate dogs” when Salukis cost thousands of dollars & are treated like prized horses. WOW. It is evident where your comments stem from. Otherwise you would be bashing Japanese people saying they “hate” cats & dogs also – when they have the same cleanliness customs that cause them to have different rules regarding wether dogs & cats belong inside the living quarters of a home than the average Westerner. If everyone is sitting on a pristine carpet w/ a pristine cloth eating they cannot have a dog wandering OVER their plates. Please educate yourself about other cultures (vs. just paying taxes to bomb them etc.).
And should anyone think I am a Saudi Arabian who has taken offense & is biased; I am American w/ a mum from Berlin & a Lebanese American dad (Orthodox btw not Muslim – since somehow Islam seems to have wound its way into your stereotyping. Not all Arabs are muslims as implied here). I am only tired of these tired uninformed lies I have been hearing for years regarding “Arabs” & “dogs” & “cats”.
And the rest of the comments in the thread were simply bizarre. One from a Syrian person that wishes an ILL fate for Syria & Syrians; including for those trapped there to live under IS/Daesh? It is very difficult to believe that this person is actually Syrian. Astonishing.
Hello Z, Thank you for commenting. Thank you for your extensive comment. I think that you will agree that the article is very balanced. I have not said that laughing at a cat with a bag on its head is cruel. I have said that it is callous. It indicates a callous attitude towards a cat in discomfort. That is all I’m saying. I cannot account for the views of others in comments. They have their own views. They are not my views. I have to publish them even if I may disagree with them because freedom of speech is protected in the West.
I don’t write about dogs on this website. Well, I might write about them rarely. The key issue really I think about the Arab world is whether you have adequate animal welfare protection laws. My research at the time indicated that there were no animal welfare laws in Saudi Arabia. That I am afraid to say is a disgrace if it is still true. And it does indicate a poor attitude towards animal welfare at the top, amongst the lawmakers and the rulers. Although it seems that animal cruelty does controvene Islamic law but a strong animal welfare law would greatly enhance animal welfare in Saudi Arabia. Why haven’t you go decent laws protecting animals? Or have you?
The rest of the article also refers to other areas of animal cruelty in Saudi Arabia. I believe that the article is very fair and very balanced and based on a reasonable argument.
You have course of the right to defend the attitude of Saudi Arabian people towards animals. And a right to criticise the West. Clearly, there is a big disparity between the attitudes of the West and the Middle East. We are very different. We don’t really understand each other it seems.
Another area that I find difficult to accept is the poor protection of human rights in Saudi Arabia. This is well documented. Poor human rights = poor animal rights.
• I did not say I was only replying to yourself Mr.Broad. Obviously I *was* also replying — point by point — to comments by others in the thread.
• I responded to the comments *here* about “dogs”. Despite they are not your area of focus — they were made here. As I explained above they are common anti-Arab tropes in existence for years which are untrue. Both about cats & dogs. I explained that people do not make the same comments about Japanese people — for one example. Despite their similar customs inc. re. cats & dogs. (Except that Arabs are even *more* emamoured of dogs — such as Salukis — which I described above).
• For some reason; despite my having explained in paragraph 10 of my comment that I am American w/ a mum from Berlin Germany & a dad (not muslim but indigenous Christian) whose family came here in the 1890s; you have responded to me as if I am NOT American & NOT from the “West” & do not have a mum whose family goes back at least to the 15th c. in Frankfurt am Main Germany (as that is what the stone lintel above our ancestral house said; 14 something w/ our name which means ‘courtier’ = free landowning lord acompanying the date). So I really don’t know how I could get any *more* Western for you. The fact that I have a Lebanese (American Christian) father seems to have led you off course. As you asked me why I don’t change our/my laws in Saudi Arabia. ?… Because I’m American as I pointed out. This is a racist micro-aggression on your part sir. Wow. I wonder when I will be seen as being from the “West”. It’s ridiculous & tiresome. My great great grandfather was an English lord. So funny. Please examine your inborn bias (dog whistle racism/anti-Arabism).
• I explained that I myself am an animal rights advocate; as evidenced by my statement about trying to change people’s minds — about neutering etc. — in Sicily when I was there.
• I doubt most people would percieve a man taking the time to chase after a cat trapped in a crisps/chips/snack bag as “callous”; if he were pale & blond & blue eyed & wearing shorts etc… vs. wearing a traditional thob & kefiyeh. This was a very kind animal loving act; it is only WHO has done it that is making you INSIST it was “callous”.
Thank you very much for reading & for your time Sir. — Zoé
PS: I did not say I am in favour of Saudi Arabia’s horrid human rights record. I am a human rights advocate (as well as an animal rights advocate). I was responding to the untrue anti-Arab tropes here; not the human rights records of various nations. Now that you have introduced the subject & framed it using the term “West” (etc.); have you noticed that innocent American Black men & women & children are being shot to death by police right & left? Wow. Have you noticed that innocent Arab American men in NYC (& elsewhere) were arrested & interrogated & Arab Americans had their phones monitored by the police? Are you aware of the Black teenager who killed himself after being falsely arrested for stealing a backpack & kept in solitary confinement for ages (& abused etc. but no time for that Saga here)? Are you aware of how Native Americans are forced to live here? That Native women had their children forcibly taken from them & suffered forced sterilisation; which only ceased in the 1970s. That people DIE in this wealthy nation because they cannot afford health care & surgeries. Saudi Arabia is not the ONLY govt. that engages in human rights violations. Also the “West” — whilst crying about animals — engages in PROLIFIC human rights violations.
*kept in solitary confinement for years without a trial — I should have written.
Four big black guys and they bust on my eyes they eat my ass just like apple pie ?????? ??????
Michael, I did not read nor even glance at the jpegs.
I firmly believe that it would be more beneficial to post an article on Spain’s behavior, as they don’t seem to be at war. My opinion, my apologies.
Hi Cal, hope you are well. The pictures are not nasty to look to at. I deliberately made it palatable. I am not sure what you mean about Spain’s behavior. I guess you mean their attitude towards feral cats. I’ll check it out. I did the Saudi one because I stumbled upon the video and there are no animal welfare laws. Also the Middle East is in the news at the moment.
Well, when human beings in many countries in the middle east are being tortured to death in ways most of the people on this planet can’t even imagine. I am not surprised at all that the cats are treated this way.
I come from Syria, AND the internet content (ex: Youtube) is filled with videos showing the torture in the basements of the Syrian intelligence for opposition leaders and protesters, not to mention torturing kids to death !!!
The same thing is happening day-after-day in Iraq,Iran,Saudi Arabia,Syria,Jordan and the list goes on.
Notice something ?? Yea, it’s all Islamic states.
The point I am trying to make clear here is that what happened with those 2 innocent cats is nothing in comparison to what’s happening to humans in the same area.
AND yes, I am not afraid to say it at all. Islam has something to do with this. It’s a religion based on fear and killing.
Muslims believe that the DEVIL is there inside any BLACK cat !!!!!! and therefore they should kill it or at least avoid looking at it because in any case it will bring bad luck eventually. And guess what everyone, the Police will never do anything about this.
I am really happy that ISIS is taking over the Iraqi and Syrian territory, maybe the Muslims can eventually make their own state and honestly I think Alqaeda and such organisations do represent the Islam. I am not going to go through the evidences right now but anyone can gets loads of them within one Google search.
Gladly I have left the F***ed up middle-east region and I am really happy with my life here in Germany AND I am getting my own Maine-Coon soon 🙂
Hopefully someday everything will be fixed, who knows …
I loved your comment and I agree with you 😉 and it is nice to hear from a Syrian. As you say it is not surprising cats are tortured or there is a lack of understanding of animal welfare because there is a disregard for equal rights and animal rights even in peaceful Islamic countries but as for the Islamic State, I think we should give it to them and put a big 20 foot concrete wall around the country and apply punitive sanctions permanently. All decent citizens should be relocated outside of this pariah state.
Fanatical Muslims are messing up the world. Although it was pretty messed up before.
Assalam o Alaikum
My dear brother ! as far as I have read the Ahadees of Holy prophet SAW, only black DOG is a DEVIL but it should not be killed. Where is the sense you have gotten that it should be killed at once or just neglected?
I am astonished with this inhumane understanding of muslims towards animals. If Black color is DEVIL…Why MO-HEM-MUD صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم then used the black cloth???? Black turbans are used by MUJAHIDEEN. Al Ma’aaz billah! are the MUJAHIDEEN DEVILS????
Come on brother! This site is about cats and their welfare. Why are you involving non-related issues in this site and showing your anger to persons who are only stuck with a limited topic and issue???
What shall I and MICHAEL do? make a suicide jacket and jump on a black cat?
come on brother! What is this style of language? “F***ed” ?????? Is this a muslim’s language???
Waaaahhh, Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullaah waaah.
You are from Seriya, then don’t worry, Yemen and Syrians will win the war. The pray is with them but only with true muslims. Remember the prediction of our prophet SAW. They will fall once and win.
I like it when a Pakistani and a Syrian discussed cats. It is a first on this website.
Anyone who hurts an animal in this way for shear pleasure; Are simply too ignorant and just plain stupid!! They lack compassion, empathy, sympathy and tolerance of other living beings. (It doesn’t matter if their animals or people). Only “Cowardly, heartless, sick & cruel, evil people do it. They do it because with their sad, pathetic lives they feel the need to inflict abuse, cruelty, torture or death on animals to make themselves feel better. Perhaps if they “tried” helping & caring for other things instead .. they could find rewards in that. You are “suppose” to be kind to animals & show compassion because, “we” are “suppose” to be smarter than them. Well .. except for those who are “EVIL!! The same things they do to animals .. should be done to them (10 fold)!!!!!!
Well said J.Martin. You said it better than me. It is total ignorance and crudeness of character. There is no refinement and education in people who torture cats and abuse them. I won’t tell you what I’d like to do to the person who cut the tail off. It would involve cutting 😉
Nope. Can’t even go there today!
Only peace and happiness.
This is terrible! it doesn’t only happen in Saudi Arabia either, there are cruel people worldwide who think it’s funny to torture cats.
I’m sure there are two species of humans, those with compassion and those without, we must have descended from different ancestors for sure.
This is quite interesting:
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/interbreeding-among-early-hominins
For me, there are too many ignorant compassionless people in the world who ruin it.
Thank you Michael
These are worst (so called) moslems on planet earth and hopefully they do not represent ISLAM or MUSLIMS all around the world. I think I have enough teased them through religion and in the sake of humanity but nothing works because until we do not accept any phenomena by heart, we are just a dead body, a lair, a pagan , ignorant A*s hole like these guys shown in the pictures.
Specially China is the Master and LORD of cruelty in the EAST. Pakistan is just 1 to 10 towards it. I am a library freak, an insect of the book 😀 that’s what my dad has called me from childhood. I surf the net more than 18 hours a day only for more and more info , at last what I get is the different attitudes of different cultures towards their feral cats and the west is full of the hatred towards the ferals. I don’t know when we all speak about CATS….WHAT DO WE MEAN by the word CAT????
Why are we so selfish that we only love one category of cats and that is household???? not FERAL???? What is the difference???
Have you ever seen those DIRTY UGLY movies about Americans shooting with crossbow to their so much beautiful Feral cats? I may request the west to please give me a chance and deliver every of your FERAL CAT to AHSAN UL HAQ, and I will take care of them , and please don’t harm them.
Whether you belong to any race, Arabs, Pakis, Indies, Chinese, UKs, USAs or USSR what so ever. It does not matter who you are and from where you are, just please, please, please don’t hurt FERAL CATS, They are not a joke, they are expecting some thing from us. They are in need of us as we are in need of some thing which is different in us every one. I love them, because I need them.
Thank you very much for sharing, and exposing the truth, I have seen these videos , they are old now but very idiotic group of Arabs youth are making fun of it but we as cat lovers do not consider it as fun.
Thank you so much for the article MICHAEL <3
Yes, you are right. Attitudes towards the feral cat is not good or very poor in many countries and it isn’t just Saudi Arabia or the USA or the UK. Doesn’t matter. In the UK and for example Switzerland you rarely if ever see feral cats and this is not because they are killed but because there are higher rates of neutering. The weather must play a role too. In warmer climates there are more feral cats. Britain has pretty hostile weather a lot of the time.
Israel is generally good with feral cats which are considered more like community cats – part of the human community and to be treated reasonably.
Michael ISRAEL has learnt a lot from the past history and still learning and focusing towards improvement. They know that they are in minorities, their ideas are in many cases inhumane but they know that the every inch and human or animal whether that is dangerous or friendly is the property of the STATE of ISRAEL. Can we not learn any good from countries like ISRAEL.
Once we friends were talking to each other and every one was opposing ISRAEL but I said that ISRAEL is my ideal country and I have learnt fro them a very deep lesson.
They are the worst of earth and anti GOD and prophets but sincere to their ideologies.
We are the believers and trust in GOD but are in-sincere towards our true beliefs.
So I said , I love ISRAEL, because they are sincere with their BAD.
I hate such muslims which are not sincere with their GOOD.
If you will let me speak, then I have to speak the truth regardless I am self a muslim of Allah Subhanahu. 🙁
But you are right <3 🙂
One thing more MICHAEL
people here hate me because I love the truth. I never hid the truth behind the curtains of lies. This is what I am. 🙁
I liked your comment. Interesting. Israel is also the only country in the Middle East and Asia to ban declawing of cats. There is a lot about Israel I dislike intensely, for the example the horrendously disproportionate aggression towards Gaza and shelling of UN sanctuaries but they do like their cats or at least that is the impression they give.