“Seest thou not that it is Allah whose praises are celebrated by all beings in the heavens and on earth, and by the birds with extended wings? Each one knows its prayer and psalm, and Allah is aware of what they do.” - The Holy Koran.

“Let us pay tribute to those inspirational human voices over the centuries which have boldly spoken out for compassion for all our fellow creatures… Some have been religious and inspired by a living faith tradition; others freethinkers animated by humane feelings and a spirit of loving kindness.” Rev. Feargus O'Connor

At the moment our human world is based on the suffering and destruction of millions of non-humans. To perceive this and to do something to change it in personal and public ways is to undergo a change of perception akin to a religious conversion. Nothing can ever be seen in quite the same way again because once you have admitted the terror and pain of other species you will, unless you resist conversion, be always aware of the endless permutations of suffering that support our society. ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

All bloody principles and practices we do utterly deny, with outward wars, and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world. ~ Quaker founders, 1660

And other eyes than ours Were made to look on flowers, Eyes of small birds and insects small: The deep sun-blushing rose Round which the prickles close Opens her bosom to them all. The tiniest living thing That soars on feathered wing, Or crawls among the long grass out of sight Has just a good a right To its appointed portion of delight As any King. ~ Christina Rossetti

And as the butcher takes away the calf And binds the wretch, and beats it when it strays, Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house, Even so remorseless have they borne him hence; And as the dam runs lowing up and down, Looking the way her harmless young one went, And can do nought but wail her darling’s loss. ~ William Shakespeare (from Twelfth Night)

Deep peace of the running wave to you Deep peace of the flowing air to you Deep peace of the quiet earth to you Deep peace of the gentle night to you Moon and stars pour their healing light on you Deep peace of the light of the world to you. ~Gaelic poem. Writer unknown.

I want to realise identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth. GANDHI

And it would go a great way to caution And direct people in their use of the World if they studied and learned more Of its creation. For how could men find the conscience to Abuse it, while they see the great Creator in all and every part of it? ~ William Penn

Our gracious Creator cares and provides for all his creatures. His tender mercies are over all his works; and so far as his love influences our minds, so far we become interested in his workmanship and feel a desire to take hold of every opportunity to lessen the distresses of the afflicted and increase the happiness of the creation. Here we have a prospect of one common interest from which our own is inseparable, that to turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the business of our lives… John Woolman, 1763.

“To one whose mind is free, there is something even more intolerable in the suffering of animals than in the sufferings of humans. For with the latter, it is at least admitted that suffering is evil and that the person who causes it is a criminal. But thousands of animals are uselessly butchered every day, without a shadow of remorse. If any person were to refer to it, they would be thought ridiculous…” Romain Rolland (from his 1915 Nobel Prizewinning novel, Jean-Christophe)