Brief introduction about "Al-Ma'arri" the first vegan in the recent history 

The Syrian poet Al-Ma'arri, was not only vegan even he did promote it, and wrote poem about animal mercy where he shows a lot of love and affection, not only for animals but for bees and spiders too. 

al-Maʿarrī; 973–1057 was a blind philosopher, poet, and writer. Born in modern day Maarrat al-Nuʿman, Syria, he studied at Aleppo, Tripoli and Antioch. Producing popular poems in Baghdad, he nevertheless refused to sell his texts. In 1010, he returned to Syria after his mother began declining in health, and continued writing which gained him local respect.

One of his famous poem called " I No Longer Steal from Nature"

You are diseased in understanding and religion.

Come to me, that you may hear something of sound truth.

Do not unjustly eat fish the water has given up,

And do not desire as food the flesh of slaughtered animals,

Or the white milk of mothers who intended its pure draught

for their young, not noble ladies.

And do not grieve the unsuspecting birds by taking eggs;

for injustice is the worst of crimes.

And spare the honey which the bees get industriously

from the flowers of fragrant plants;

For they did not store it that it might belong to others,

Nor did they gather it for bounty and gifts.

I washed my hands of all this; and wish that I

Perceived my way before my hair went gray!

 He was pessimistic about life describing himself as "a double prisoner" of blindness and isolation. He attacked the dogmas of religion and rejected Islam. He was equally sarcastic towards the religions of Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians. He advocated social justice, and lived a secluded, ascetic lifestyle. And he levied as strict vegan.

so what i would like to say it here that the idea of Veganism and anti speciesism is not a new and its more than 1000 years old, and now we have all the information to move forward to age of equality and unity.

poem source: http://www.humanistictexts.org/al_ma'arri.htm