Kinship with Animals
Exploring Our Regard and Disregard for the Creatures of the Earth
Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, 4-5:30 pm ET / 10 – 11:30 pm CET / 9-10:30 am (next day) NZDT

In this gathering, we will hear and tell stories about pivotal experiences that have deepened our awareness of and solidarity with animals. 

For many, the joy of sharing our life with beloved pets, or caring for farm animals, or encounters with wild animals may be foremost in our hearts. Yet we will also consider the many animals who suffer grievous torments and dangers in our world – from domestic livestock trapped in the machinery of industrialized animal food production to wild animals threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and global heating. 

Murshid warned that “unkindness towards the animals is a breach of moral law.” Might the rise of materialism that he witnessed, rooted in a largely unconscious legacy of human supremacy, have allowed us to tacitly countenance these harms? 

A range of perspectives will be examined as we explore the spiritual and moral implications of our profound kinship with other animals, and with all life. 

Kinship with Animals is the first part in a three-part series hosted by the Kinship Council of North America & Oceania. Kinship Council member, Shams Kairys, will facilitate our discussion. Additional gatherings are on Food & Climate on Saturday, October 28th, and Healing the Wounds of Colonialism: A Restorative Justice Approach from New Zealand on Saturday, December 2nd.

LOGISTICAL DETAILS

Events are from 4-5:30 pm New York Time, 10-11:30 pm Paris Time, 9-10:30 am (Next Day) Auckland Time.

All are welcome to attend. This program is open and free to the public. Come to all or any part of the series. Video recordings of each class can be found on the Inayatiyya Vimeo page.

If you have questions about Kinship, or about this series, please email us at kinship@inayatiyya.org.

A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR ALL

Many aspects of our world are in a state of disruption—the natural world, community cohesion, a sense of respect for differences, and a sense of belonging. Where do we need to focus our attention to nurture a world that works for all? Can we help cultivate a world where animals, plants, ecological systems and disenfranchised communities all have the full respect and consideration for their well-being? This semester we will focus our attention on the care of the animal world, the food we eat, and the possibility of restorative justice for communities that have experienced colonialism.