Jews and Muslims living in the Belgian region of Flanders, has criticized a bill prohibiting the killing of animals without prior stunning by electric current. On Thursday, March 30, according to Reuters.
The bill was introduced in the Parliament on the proposal of local conservationists and right-wing parties. In their opinion, the traditional ways of slaughtering cattle experiencing unnecessary suffering. Environmentalists supported the regional Ministry for the protection of animals. “Killing without stunning is the stone age, the Minister said Ben weyts. We live in a civilized society, and it is our duty to avoid causing animal suffering wherever possible”.
According to polls, the majority of the inhabitants of Flanders, professing Catholicism, support the bill. At the same time, local Muslim and Jewish community strongly opposed. They argue that slaughtering with prior stunning is contrary to the regulations of Judaism and Islam and makes impossible the preparation of meat of dead animal Halal and kosher food.
In the near future a similar bill plan to introduce the local parliaments in all regions of Belgium. A ban on slaughter without prior stunning is now operating in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.