no-reply@blogger on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A constitutional court in Poland reportedly has ruled against allowing Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter in the country. The Warsaw court's ruling, which was made known on Tuesday, said the government had acted unconstitutionally when it exempted Jews and Muslims from stunning animals before slaughtering them as their faiths require, according to Piotr Kadlcik, president of the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland.
no-reply@blogger on Thursday, June 7, 2012
A new covenant aims to allow Jews and Muslims to continue to perform ritual slaughter of animals while answering the broadly supported call to prevent animal suffering.
After years of heated argument and increased polarization, the parties sat down in front of invited journalists to sign a carefully agreed covenant. The Jewish and Muslim representatives shook hands and, relieved, signed their names to the document.
In this case, Jews and Muslims were on the same side. The covenant they signed, along with Deputy Minister of Agriculture Henk Bleker, is a compromise that will allow Jews and Muslims in the Netherlands to continue the practice of ritual slaughter.
no-reply@blogger on Sunday, May 6, 2012
A leading vet has criticised the "unacceptable" rise in the number of animals killed in ritual slaughter.
Ritual slaughter is lawful in the UK and the EU to satisfy the dietary requirements of Jews and Muslims.
Prof Bill Reilly, former president of the British Veterinary Association, said estimates suggested more animals were slaughtered than was necessary.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said its own figures showed most animals were stunned before being killed. The FSA conducted a survey into animal welfare in slaughterhouses in September.
A spokesman said: "The results indicate that the number of animals not stunned prior to slaughter is relatively low, accounting for 3% of cattle, 10% of sheep and goats, and 4% of poultry. They also show that the majority of animals destined for the halal trade in both the red and white meat sectors are stunned before slaughter."
The FSA said full details of the survey would be published ahead of a discussion at a board meeting on 22 May.
See also "British Muslims defend halal slaughter", OnIslam, 5 May 2012
Over at the Jewish Chronicle Daniel Finkelstein argues that the campaign against halal slaughter and shechitah, together with the rise of the far right, provides the basis for an alliance between the Jewish and Muslim communities. Now that's a proposal you don't see every week in the JC.