Imperial Party forum

thomas davison

Stop slashing animals' throats in 'ritual' slaughters for halal and kosher meat, says new leader of Britain's vets

Muslims and Jews are asked to use more 'acceptable' methods of killing
John Blackwell wants Government to consider a ban on kosher or halal
President of British Veterinary Association says all should be stunned first
6,000 animals are killed in religious abattoirs every week in Britain
Religious groups call his advice 'misleading' and will 'inflame prejudice'
Denmark banned the practice last months despite huge protests

By Tara Brady

PUBLISHED: 03:37, 6 March 2014 | UPDATED: 09:10, 6 March 2014

Halal and kosher slaughter of animals should be outlawed, Britain's leading vet said today.

John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association, has argued the ritual killing of poultry, sheep and cattle by cutting their throats causes unnecessary suffering to animals.

Traditionally, Jewish and Islamic slaughter practices involve animals having their throats slit and the blood drained because it is 'humane'

But Mr Blackwell, who has been accused of 'inflaming prejudice' by religious leaders, says animals must be stunned before the cut because some will be conscious for up to two minutes before death.

Controversial: More than 6,000 animals are killed in religious abattoirs every week in Britain and the UK's top vet has called for it to be banned because it is inhumane
Whenever you see this image, tap to view all the images in a gallery
Ok
+4

Controversial: More than 6,000 animals are killed in religious abattoirs every week in Britain and the UK's top vet has called for it to be banned because it is inhumane

The Danish government has been accused of religious persecution after it banned the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat.

More...

Migrants DO cost UK jobs says 'buried' report: BBC attacked after claiming document was suppressed by No 10
Teachers don't know about world of work: What Cable said about poor careers advice in schools

Despite huge pressure from the Muslim and Jewish communities not to, the practice was banned last month as the country's Minister for Food, Dan Jorgensen, maintained that 'animal rights come before religion'.
Campaign: John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association, has argued the ritual killing of animals causes unnecessary suffering to animals
+4

Campaign: John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association, has argued the ritual killing of animals causes unnecessary suffering to animals

Mr Blackwell said British abattoirs should follow Denmark's example.

'Our view has always been that animals should be stunned. They should be imperceptible to pain as death supervenes,' he told Radio 4's Today programme.

'We are looking for a meeting of minds to review the evidence base which clearly shows that slaughtering animals without stunning compromises welfare. If that can't happen then I would like labelling at the point of sale that gives the consumer informed choice. If that is not possible we would be looking for a ban for killing without stunning.

'There is no insensibility for these animals by cutting its throat and these remain conscious for seven seconds for sheep and two minutes for cattle and that is not acceptable. As a vet and scientist welfare is top of our list'.

Jonathan Arkush, vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, responded: 'I really regret John Blackwell's remarks, which are completely misleading

Animals that are killed for the Jewish or Muslim markets do not bleed to death. Animals that are killed for the general market or the Muslim and Jewish market are killed in exactly the same way.

'A large animal has its throat cut and this renders it insensible to pain and unconscious. The Jewish method is designed to bring that about instantly, and using tendentious language is not helpful. T

The Jewish religion focuses on the most humane way of bring death. If you eat meat you have to accept that an animal that is live is then killed and the most important thing to do is to do it humanely.

Animal welfare organisations have shown it fails to stun in between nine and 31 per cent of cases. When an animal is mis-stunned it suffers enormous pain and distress. When you eat your chicken from the supermarket you need to know it has been carried by an industral conveyor belt and dumped in a bath of electricute water. We don't do that and we wouldn't.

'In Denmark you had a political act designed for populist reasons because of prejudice against Muslims and I am worried Mr Blackwell is speaking in ways that inflame prejudice.
Argument: The Jewish community says that the kosher method of killing animals like in this abattoir is more humane than stunning
+4

Argument: The Jewish community says that the kosher method of killing animals like in this abattoir is more humane than stunning

The new leader of Britain's vets has called for the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat to be banned
+4

The new leader of Britain's vets has called for the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat to be banned

Mr Blackwell said the way halal and kosher meat is created, through the throat being slit, resulted in 'five or six seconds' of pain for the animal.

'They will feel the cut,' he said.

'They will feel the massive injury of the tissues of the neck. They will perceive the aspiration of blood they will breath in before they lose consciousness.'

He told the newspaper the issue was 'one of the most important on our (vets') radar.'
HOW AND WHY RELIGIONS DEMAND RITUAL SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS

HALAL

Halal slaughtering involves cutting through the large arteries in the neck with one swipe of a blade, while a Muslim butcher recites a religious verse.

All blood is then drained away since the consumption of blood is forbidden under Islamic law.

Under Islamic law, an animal must be slaughtered by having its throat cut while it is conscious.

KOSHER

According to the laws, in order for a meat to kosher it must come from an animal that means the kosher rules.

These are the animal must be ruminant and have split hooves. Ruminant animals chew food once and swallow, before regurgitating it and chewing again.

Animals that Jews can eat include cows, sheep, goats and deer.

They cannot eat pigs despite the fact it has split hooves because it is not a ruminant animal.

Before slaughtering, the animal must be healthy and uninjured and a sharp knife is used to slice through the main arteries and windpipe, causing a drop in blood pressure that causes the animal to lose consciousness. Jews believe this is a way of killing that shows 'respect and compassion' as set out in Jewish law.

More than 6,000 animals are killed in religious abattoirs every week in Britain.

The halal meat market is believed to be worth up to an estimated �2billion.

Charities including Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA also support the move to ban the slaughter of animals without stunning first.

However, it is feared far-right groups could use Mr Blackwell's comments to support their campaigns on the issue.

Lewis Grant, of the Veterinary Public Health Association, said cuts left over from animals which have been slaughtered for halal and kosher meat often enter the general meat trade and people do not realise they are eating it.

The Jewish practice of slaughtering animals is known as shechita.

Shimon Cohen, of Scechita UK, said if the government labelled meat which had been slaughtered for religious reasons it should also inform consumers if their meat had been 'shot, gassed, electocuted or drowned.

He also said banning the religious slaughter of animals had been a way of driving out Jewish and Muslim populations in the 19th century.

Last week the Danish government was accused of being anti-Semitic after passing the law which banned the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat.

The change has been described as �anti-Semitic and �a clear interference in religious freedom� by a group petitioning against the change.

Under European regulations, animals are required to be stunned before slaughter unless an exemption can be found on religious grounds.

Animals must be conscious when killed for the meat to be kosher under Jewish law and halal under Islamic law.

Well if you want your meat killed this way go back to where they allow it and the sooner the better, the general public does not like it so stop it now or leave or country,

This ritual slaughter of meat is medieval, barbaric, cruel and totally unnecessary. It has absolutely no place in the civilised world and I am astonished at how widespread this has become.
There is absolutely no justification for it whatsoever and it is about time practise was stopped,It has already been banned in the House of Commons Canteen out of choice, and rightly so. If this barbaric practice is allowed to continue then the 'product' should not be allowed into the commercial food change as it is morally wrong to impose 'cruel' slaughter on people who do not support it.
But there again our government allows these people to have their own laws in this country, this must stop as well if not out you go, one law one people

2Anne · Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 399 Location: Norfolk

Thumbs up to John Blackwell.
You may well ask where are the Animal Rights people on this issue?
This disgusting slaughter should be stopped in the UK. It has been in N.Zealand and Holland so why not here?