No respect for barbaric cultural practises

THIS letter is in response to ‘Understanding and respecting diverse cultural rituals’ by Voice of Reason in the Zululand Observer of 6 April.

Although I understand diverse cultural rituals I think that any act involving deliberate injury to yourself, someone in your care or causing unnecessary suffering to animals for religious/cultural purposes is cruel, superstitious nonsense. It is time society grew up.

This has nothing to do with racism, which I deplore; however I stand by my views as spelt out in my previous letter. Why should I respect barbaric cultural practises such as male/female circumcision or Kosher/ Halal slaughter, goat sacrifices or corporal mortification as practiced by some Catholics and Shiite Muslims.

DAVID LAWSON