Parrot causes controversy (Illustration)
Photo: Visual/Photos
Injunction protects cussing parrot
Tel Aviv District Court issues restraining order forbidding Oren Zarif, owner of parrot that won’t stop swearing, from harming bird in any way upon petition from Let Animals Live foundation. Earlier, Zarif consults rabbinate, which sentenced bird to death or having his tongue severed
The Tel Aviv District Court issued an injunction forbidding Oren Zarif, owner of a parrot that won’t stop cussing, to harm the parrot in any way. The injunction was issued as per the request of the Let Animals Live foundation, headed by Etti Altman, after the story of Zarif’s parrot was published in Yedioth Ahronoth last week.
Rude Bird
Michal Goldberg
What is the sentence of a parrot who cusses? Rabbis who were asked to decide ruled: The parrot should be slaughtered, or at least have his evil tongue cut out
Zarif, a holistic doctor from Ramat Gan, acquired the parrot for NIS 15,000 from one of his patients, a religious man who was having problems with the parrot’s dirty mouth. When the original owner consulted his rabbi, the rabbi told him that since the parrots “sins and leads others to sin,” he should be put do death.
To prevent the cruel sentence from being carried out, Zarif adopted the parrot, but once it started screeching such unbecoming phrases as “maniac”, “homo” and “son of a bitch” at regular intervals, Zarif in turn consulted a rabbi. The second rabbi recommended the parrot either be put to death or have his tongue severed.
After being published in the media, the parrot’s story caused great waves among the public. Dozens of bodies and private citizens offered to take the parrot, and animal activists even protested in front of Zarif’s home in Ramat Hen hoping to prevent the bird from coming to any harm.
The Let Animals Live foundation did not waste any time and turned to the courts. In a petition filed through lawyer Koby Sudri, the foundation said that it informed Zarif of its willingness to adopt the gutter-mouthed bird, but he responded that if he failed to fulfill the rabbinate’s ruling, he would be boycotted by the Orthodox community and his business would suffer.
The petition also claimed that since there is a reasonable basis to assume the parrot will be subjected to suffering and cruelty, the court must interfere with a restraining order.
Judge Tzvi Kaspi acquiesced to the request and issued an injunction protecting the parrot from being harmed in any way. The order will apply until a further decision is made. In the next few days, a deliberation will be held and the parrot’s fate will be sealed by the court.
Zarif himself told Yedioth Ahronoth that he would respect any decision made by the court. He plans to attend the court session accompanied by the parrot in question.
