To be horrified at the abuse towards Green Party candidate who said he wanted to ban halal (non stunned) slaughter?

[FreshFreesias]

To be horrified at the backlash against Green Party candidate who said he wanted to ban halal (non stunned) slaughter?

Jonathan Bartley of the Green Party, was asked in an interview what he thought about halal slaughtering methods (where animals are often not stunned so are fully conscious when slaughtered). Quite reasonably, considering the party is meant to be pro animal welfare and that he is Vegan, he said personally he’d like to ban it.
There was a big outcry and calls for him to resign for Islamophobia. However he was asked about halal not kosher (which also requires animals not to be stunned prior to slaughter) and no doubt he would have decried any slaughter that requires animals to be slaughtered without stunning, whether it was kosher or halal.

This is a bit like campaigning against bull-fighting and being accused of racism against Spanish people.

Worst of all, when he was criticised, he back-tracked and explained that the Green Party supported kosher and halal slaughtering methods, so a bit of a 360 degree turnaround. Other Green Party apparatchiks then came aboard to grovel and apologise on his behalf.

I remember when the Green Party supported animal welfare and to find them going against recommendations from Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA, who insist that stunning animals before slaughter takes away some of the pain from this unconscionable process, is very depressing.

Slaughterhouses are already so poorly regulated that to deny animals some relief by rendering them unconscious before they are killed is surely a terrible abomination. I do wish to respect all religions but I am disappointed that animal welfare is being so disrespected.

Personally I think it’s awful that any religion outweighs welfare in this country.

It should be evidence based. What does the research say? Is there any proper research? I heard that there wasn't a clear case about which method is most humane. If that's true we need proper research and to go with whatever the findings are.

It's ridiculous that it's still allowed to bleed conscious animals to death on religious grounds. Kosher or halal. And it's ridiculous that you can't speak up agains it

@Inforthelonghaul @LazyFace totally agree.

Yanbu

@wheresMyChocolate of course there is research. Both the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming insist that stunning animals before slaughter renders them unconscious and therefore takes some of the agony away from this unconscionable process.

That anyone would seek to deny animals this very small amount of pain relief after a usually hellish life and long transport to an abattoir is beyond belief.

I think we need to ask ourselves if it was me or a loved one ( a child ) . Which option would you choose ?

I think the Green Party's attitude is disgusting.

they don't care about animals and no doubt support transwomen playing on women's sports teams.

They are sacrificing their principles upon the altar of political correctness.

I'm sorry that was a bit goady, but would someone please explain why the animals are killed in that manner ? How does fit in with the religions ?

The animal has its throat cut with a razor sharp huge knife. It is then left to bleed out.
The animal knows it is going to be killed. I've seen it done and I've seen the terror in their eyes and the crying and wailing before it happens. To me it is truly barbaric. To my Turkish family and other Muslims the animal is a gift from Allah to feed them. This is the way they end the animals life and they don't question this method.
Killing any animal by the Halal method or stunning then slaughtering is in my opinion unnecessary. No one needs to eat meat to survive.

I did respect Jonathan for saying he wanted to ban it but when he got some criticism he rolled over and started grovelling.
The Green Party have become so corporate and slick they will say anything to be elected.

Yanbu it’s horrible, I won’t eat anywhere that serves halal food. Some of the subway sandwich shops serve halal meat and some kfc I check online what store are halal before I go in as I won’t if they are. I would want to ban it aswell if I where in his position.

Actually the majority of halal meat is stunned pre-slaughter.

On the other hand, kosher meat is never stunned pre-slaughter which is a much bigger yet rarely discussed welfare issue.

I am on Twitter and the abuse he got for saying he wanted to ban this practice was off the scale.
I am so upset as I thought people cared about animals but it seems so many people put political correctness before compassion to animals.

He specifically targeted halal and didn’t mention halal and kosher - that’s why he’s getting challenged. A lot of Muslims and non-Muslims alike are rightly fed up that while Islamophobia (related mainly to Wahabbism) goes unchallenged by the mainstream media, they deliberately confuse anti-zionism with anti-semitism when it suits them.

Actually unlike Kosher Halal meat can be stunned in the slaughter process. Any abattoir slaughtering animals for halal meat has zero reason to not stun.

@bellyfullofbiscuits Animals for halal meat can be stunned, the only real rules are that the animal must be alive when it’s throat is cut (which is exactly the same as standard british slaughter methods), pigs cannot be slaughtered at the same site and the meat needs to be blessed by someone of the book (so muslim, jew or christian).

Kosher meat is slaughtered via shechita where stunning is forbidden, muslims can eat kosher meat and an abattoir using shechita can also classify their carcasses as halal.

Over 85% of halal meat follows normal british slaughter standards, so those who refuse to eat halal would be huge hypocrites if they ate any meat.

@bearfamil1010 actually only 58% of Halal animals receive stunning according to the most recent RSPCA report.

And the stunning permitted under Halal does not render the animal unconscious, it is a form of electrocution that just makes it impossible for the animal to move. so they still experience all the terror and fear. It is really dreadful

According to someone I knew who worked in a slaughterhouse, the only difference between halal and non-halal meat is that the halal slaughter involves playing an Islamic prayer on loop as the animals move down the line.

Most people who say "I'd never eat halal meat, how disgusting" wouldn't DREAM of saying the same thing about kosher. Yet kosher slaughter really is cruel

YANBU. I can’t believe that either Kosher or Halal slaughter is allowed in the UK or Ireland. It is barbaric.

@GrumpyHoonMain he was only asked specifically about halal by the journalist. No doubt if asked about kosher he would have said the same thing. Kosher doesn't permit any stunning while halal allows moderate stunning, however this is a form of electrocution and renders animals immobile and not unconscious. They still feel fear and panic but are not able to move.

It's all horrific, but to deny animals this small amount of pain relief is so barbaric.

Halal is a total disgrace. Where are all your animal rights protestors, vegans etc with regards to this subject? Too scared to act that's where. Good for this Green Party chap. Need more like him.

@wheresMyChocolate of course there is research.

Yes I've just searched. I found a paper by Temple Grandin which said that both methods are humane when carried out correctly and both aren't when done incorrectly.

Both the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming insist that stunning animals before slaughter renders them unconscious and therefore takes some of the agony away from this unconscionable process.

That's opinion not evidence based research.

@FreshFreesias It’s the exact same stunning as used in standard british slaughter methods.

I’m always amazed my meat eaters being in uproar about slaughter when most animals have had a short torturous life that they are personally funding. If I kept chickens the way they are kept in barns I could be charged with animal cruelty, yet meat eaters pay people to purposely subject chickens to cruelty.