Dutch to Vote on Halal Meat Ban

The slaughter of animals by halal or kosher methods could soon be banned in the Netherlands because of the unacceptable suffering that these methods inflict upon animals.

The vote will take place later this month, and supporters of the ban in the Netherlands say that the humane treatment of animals must trump traditions of ‘tolerance’.

As in most western countries, the Dutch law says that butchers must stun all livestock before slaughter to minimise pain and fear.
But an exception is made for meat prepared under Jewish and Muslim dietary laws.

These demand that animals be slaughtered while still awake, by swiftly cutting the main neck arteries with razor-sharp knives.

Most of the Dutch favour a ban, and if the bill is passed, the Netherlands will join New Zealand, Scandinavian countries and Switzerland, which have all had bans for decades.

Of course, much of the meat sold in the big supermarkets here in the UK is now halal – often not even labelled as such, but I doubt that we will be fortunate enough to see our Government stepping up to the mark and attempting to ban this barbaric practice, for fear of offending the ever-growing number of Muslim voters we now have in this country.