1 min read
BySimon Rocker, Simon Rocker
A few weeks ago the Supreme Court of Poland slapped down a parliamentary recommendation to introduce a ban on shechita, declaring that it would contravene human rights and amount to discrimination against the country's Jews. Shechita defence campaigners consider it a gold-standard ruling in protecting religious freedom.
So far, that freedom is not under threat in the UK since none of the three main parties have suggested a ban. But Ukip's new policy marks a form of moral victory for the animal welfare lobby.
Growing demands for curbs on religious slaughter have been fuelled in particular by reports of cruelty at some halal meat-producing abattoirs. The halal industry is less well regulated internally than its Jewish counterpart, although Muslim authorities are keen to stamp out rogue practices.
More serious, however, than Ukip's move is The Times's call this week for an end to "ritual slaughter" - a term deeply disliked by Jews with its echo of the blood libel. Still, with an uncertain general election ahead, it is hard to see why the main parties would adopt a policy that would risk votes among many of the country's large Muslim minority.
The risk seems even more unlikely when the government is dealing with sensitive issues such as combating extremism in education.
The main challenge for shechitah comes from a European Union proposal that meat from religious sources be labelled for the benefit of general consumers. The wording will be critical.
For complicated reasons in Jewish law, the hindquarters of animals slaughtered by shechita are not allowed for kosher use but sold on to the general market. If the general public were to shun it, this could make the cost of kosher meat production prohibitive.
Although the shechita campaign supports labelling, it is against stating simply whether the animals were stunned or not, fearing this would pander to ignorance about the kosher way. It believes that labels should say whether the meat was produced by the "Jewish [or Muslim] method of slaughter", or whether the animals were killed by gas, electrocution or other means used in the general industry.
Describing kosher meat as unstunned would in any case be wrong, the shechita campaign argues, because the swift cut to the neck renders the animal unconscious.
Ultimately, the only guaranteed way to protect animals is to let them live - which would mean outlawing meat altogether.