Would Muslims be horrified if they really knew what halal slaughter involved?

[HangryBrickShark]

PLEASE DO NOT READ IF EASILY UPSET - REFERENCES TO ANIMAL SLAUGHTER

First of all I want to make it clear I am not being racist or am not racist in any way, shape or form, but this is a question I have often pondered for many years now.

My friends ex husband worked at a halal meat abbatoir and although he'd been a slaughterman for many years prior to this, it was using the traditional pre-stunning method prior to slaughter. I guess it's one of those less desirable jobs but it's one of those 'someone has to do it' jobs.
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He lasted a few days before quitting his job at this halal place, deeply distressed at what he witnessed, certainly distressed enough to be sobbing in my friends arms whilst he told her about it. I'll spare you the ghastly details but he witnessed a tremendous amount of suffering whilst working there and did report his findings to the local authority. They said that when they carried out a visit their findings were that the process was being carried out correctly.

The animals at some halal abbatoirs are not pre stunned before slaughter and scientists have proven how unethical and cruel the method of cutting the carotid artery on an animal actually is, with some animals, in particular young calves who have a very good supply of nerves and blood vessels on the top of their necks. This prolongs their consciousness and can cause terrible suffering and it can take a couple of minutes for them to die whilst suspended by a back leg in the air after the cut is made whilst they bleed to death. Obviously the animal is beyond terrified and will struggle. Sometimes cows are put in a contraption that lifts their chin in order to make the cut and turned upside down. I have watched a video of both methods and it is very obvious the animals are conscious for many seconds to a minute or more, you can see their terror, they are not reflexes. This is as an offering to Allah as it states (possibly in the Quaran) that animals have to be offered alive when slaughtered. More and more halal abbatoirs are now pre stunning but there are still many that don't which represent a great many. In 2018 48% of all halal slaughter was not prestunned. 24,000 cattle in 2022 were not prestunned and 2.7million sheep (which represents a horrific 22% of all animals slaughtered in the UK) were not prestunned. The figure for chickens is even worse with 22 million not stunned.

I have read extensive research about both methods because I like a lot of other peoplecannot understand why our government allows religious slaughter when it causes so much suffering and I, like many others try to avoid the halal mark on shop bought food and never eat meat from a restaurant if I know it is serving halal food.

I have friends/work colleagues who are Muslims and I do not regard them any different from myself in any way other than I would never share a meal with them for these reasons.

Just for reference I am a meat eater and try to buy ethically sourced meat from local butchers as well as the supermarket red tractor scheme meat.

I think it's fairly common knowledge what is involved in halal slaughter. I think most people also know what goes on in chicken factories, on pig farms etc. but still continue to eat meat. All involve similarly shocking cruelty.

I don’t understand how it is legal to bleed a large animal to death by cutting its throat without stunning, and think the law should be changed.

Anyone who finds it impossible to eat meat from an animal that hasn’t heard the prayer said as it dies can go veggie. Or pescatarian as fish doesn’t seem to require ritual slaughter.

And I have Muslims in my extended family.

Do they know how you feel about them?

I know how halal slaughter works, but I’d still happily eat it. Because meat tastes nice. I also suspect that many non Muslims eat a lot more halal meat then they think they do.

British pork is all free range now.

And my young relative who is in vet training (and is veggie) was quite reassured by the treatment of animals in abbatoirs.

That doesn’t sound halal at all. It has to be quick.
How would you kill an animal OP?

Yes, because the chicken and lamb in Indian restaurants (and a lot of chains) will be halal but may not be non-stun. Huge quantities of halal meat is stunned.

I eat meat sometimes but killing animals on an industrial scale is never pleasant, neither for the killer, nor the "killee".

And we ( the muslims) were waiting our whole lives for you to come along and enlighten us!!

Seriously, you need to look at ALL meat production farm to supermarket. While you are there have a look at the Tayab process.

In all honesty, you may need to become vegan.

Would non-Muslims who eat non-Halal meat be horrified by how brutal 'everyday' slaughter is?

The slaughter of animals is not pretty - I don't think meat eaters of any type can be complacent about animal welfare.

i'm a meat eater.

There's free range, and then there's "free range".

Free range doesn't necessarily mean animals frolicking in unlimited fields and leading a hedonistic life. It just means animals have access to the outside.

Muslims born and raised in the UK shouldn’t be killing their own livestock.
Unless only their immediate family should be eating the meat.
Otherwise it is illegal.
I follow the Humane slaughter association. So only buy organic or red tractor. I don’t buy much chicken because the water bath stun isn’t very effective. So prefer organic pork or beef or lamb.
I care very much about their life before slaughter.

They know.
Anyway, there in no kind way to kill an animal, they hear the screams and smell the blood.

I was going to say this. How does the OP know Jewish people and Muslims aren’t fully aware of how kosher and halal slaughter work?

Not sure why you are singling out halal and not kosher. In the UK, nearly 90% of halal meat is pre-stunned.

All abattoirs have to have an Official Veterinarian present to oversee and ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.

Your second paragraph is irrelevant to this thread. Before you create that thread look at how much money muslims give to charity and what muslims contribute to society not your drama headlines but the actual dr, dentists, teachers, etc.

More gaslighting! Where has any muslim on this thread they are killing their personal livestock?

I find it hard to believe that a man who works in abattoirs would be weeping in someone's arms over the practise of halal slaughter. Just my thoughts.

Some one will claim "they are eating the cats, they are eating the dogs" before too long

Oh no you might catch the Muslim! Slaughterhouses are probably not for the faint hearted I mean a prayer and a throat slit must be awful for your poor " friend" was it ?

If you eat meat, you know that slaughter is involved.

No.

I know and I don’t care. If I am happy for an animal to be slaughtered to feed me or so I can wear it’s skin fur and happy for cows to be kept in a constant state of pregnancy so I get my cheeses I am not going to quibble over Halal.

Or that schools only celebrate Eid, not Easter 🙄

Would Muslims be horrified if they really knew what halal slaughter involved?

Why are you assuming that they don’t? And why are you talking like you have the moral high ground? If you really think that Halal slaughter is awful, but that your conscience is completely clear because your meat comes with a nice little sticker on it, then I suggest you spend time with some vegans who are passionate about animal welfare.

The Muslims are banning Easter Eggs!!!!
Or some other shite