It is just soooooo easy to spark hate by spreading crap like this without giving any background. Makes it sound like they are killing an animal just for the sake of killing. Doing a little research and sharing truth instead of fostering hatred would seem the more Christian way to me. I would have to say the custom of slaughtering an animal by Muslims is a helluva lot better than the custom of rich white hunters killing animals so they can hang their heads on the wall as trophies!

So on that note, here is the truth behind the "animal sacrifice" of Muslims during their holy time of year:

This week, the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, a four-day feast that usually includes communal prayer, presents for children and visits to family members and cemeteries. But the key ritual will be what gives the holiday its name: “Adha” means “sacrifice” in Arabic. Most families who can afford to do so will slaughter an animal — perhaps a sheep, goat, cow or camel. The animal will be blindfolded, gently put down and then slaughtered while the name of God is praised. The meat is consumed by the family and also distributed to neighbors and to the poor.

For some non-Muslims, it may seem puzzling that Muslims engage in such a bloody ritual. But Jews and Christians should be able to relate to the holiday’s origin: the biblical story of the sacrifice of Isaac.

This story is in both the Book of Genesis and, with some interesting variations, the Quran. In the story, Abraham receives a shocking injunction from God: He must offer his beloved son as a sacrifice. As a devoted servant of God, he agrees to obey and takes the child to Mount Moriah to slaughter him. At the last moment, God, satisfied with Abraham’s devotion, saves the boy by sending a ram as a substitute sacrifice.

There are minor differences between how the story is told in Islam and how it’s told in Judaism and Christianity — such as the name of the child, which the Quran doesn’t mention and Muslims gradually accepted as Ishmael. But the moral lesson is the same: Abraham’s piety should be celebrated. He was willing to obey God’s order, even if it meant killing his son.

The meat from the slaughtered animal is shared through the community and used for the annual feast. Not much different in my mind than getting a quarter cow from my neighbor each year when he decides it's time to butcher!

We fear what we don't understand, lets not be too lazy to try to understand before we move on to the fear station!