Halal is a guarantee of animal suffering
In Catalonia, thousands of animals are sacrificed in great suffering in the name of religion and the export trade.
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In Catalonia, meat labelled as halal. Moreover, Catalonia is positioning itself as a strategic hub for the export of products. halal to the Islamic world and to countries that have prioritised animal welfare over religion. This business and political initiative launched by the Esquerra Republicana government in 2022 (through Prodeca) It promotes a model of sacrifice that involves animal suffering..
But, to be considered 100% halal, the meat must come from an animal slaughtered according to a specific religious ritual: The animal is slaughtered alive, without prior stunning, while Allah is invoked..
What is sacrifice? halal
The sacrifice halal is a practice established by the Sharia in the 7th century that It consists of slitting the animal's throat while reciting an invocation to Allah.. Pre-stunning is not permitted as lA 1,300-year-old tradition requires that the animal be conscious at the moment of death.. This entails intense and prolonged suffering, especially when it comes to large animals such as lambs, calves or goats. The blood must be completely drained from the body, and the cut is made at the throat, severing the trachea, arteries and oesophagus. The entire process is carried out in accordance with strict religious rules., but without real guarantees of animal welfare.
This type of cruel sacrifice is legally permitted. The European regulation established in Regulation (EC) 1099/2009, Prohibits the slaughter of an animal outside the abattoir and without prior stunning.. However, it accepts the religious exemptions laid down in Spain in Law 32/2007 of 7 November. Therefore, In countries like Spain, animal welfare is subordinate to religion.
The sacrifice halal causes intense pain
In the vast majority of European slaughterhouses, the animals are Stunned before being slaughtered. This means that they lose consciousness and do not suffer while they die. But in the sacrifice halal Stupefaction is expressly avoided..
Organisations such as Eurogroup for Animals and FAADA warn that Slaughter without stunning causes intense pain, stress and agony that can last for several minutes.. In many cases, the animal struggles to breathe as it slowly bleeds to death.
“Animal welfare”, the great lie of sacrifice halal
The bodies that certify meat halal In Spain they insist that they take the welfare of animals into account. But the facts contradict these words. In statements to the newspaper American Broadcasting Company , the director of the Halal Institute of the Islamic Council, stated that «qThe absence of stunning does not imply that we disregard animal welfare. On the contrary, it is one of our priorities.«.
This seemingly reassuring statement conceals a serious contradiction. The scientific consensus is clear: Slaughter without stunning causes intense suffering to animals. Slaughtering a fully conscious animal causes pain, fear and avoidable agony. It is precisely for this reason that pre-slaughter stunning has been adopted as the welfare standard in abattoirs across Europe.
When the stalling is expressly prohibited, it means that:
- The animal is conscious while it is being slaughtered.
- It can take several minutes to die.
- Lying on the cutting board, he bleeds out slowly, struggling to breathe.
- He often sees other animals die before him.
To say that this is “taking animal welfare into account” It is a cynical use of language.. It is dressing up a brutal practice with kind words to avoid social rejection.
Another surprising response from the Muslim community was given by Mohamed el Ghaidouni, president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Catalonia. He states that statements to Verified that«Here no one can determine when the animal suffers most, whether during stunning or slaughter, because the only being that knows this is the animal. Scientifically, we cannot determine when the animal suffers most.«. The images of a British slaughterhouse perhaps prove the contrary:
Catalonia, from banning bulls to wanting to be the leader in the meat market halal
Catalonia has sought to project an image of a region at the forefront of animal rights. One of the most symbolic decisions was the ban on bull-running in 2010, making it the first autonomous community in the state to take this step. That measure was sold as an act of consistency with the values of respect and compassion towards animals., and was applauded by many animal welfare groups.
However, Today, Catalonia is doing exactly the opposite.It has positioned itself as a territory with its own strategy for producing and exporting meat. halal. Through Prodeca, The Catalan administration helps companies in the agri-food sector to enter the market. halal international, participating in fairs and promoting this line of business.
Thus, while professing sensitivity towards animals, a practice that causes them extreme suffering is tolerated and even encouraged. In fact, According to El Periódico, the products halal The number of cases in Catalonia has doubled in 10 years.
The Europe that bans sacrifice halal without dazing
The European Court of Human Rights opened the door in February 2024 to banning religious sacrifices that involve animal suffering. The court held that protecting animal welfare is part of public morality and can justify restrictions.The ruling brought an end to the conflict in Belgium between the authorities and Muslim organisations. For the head of the Islamic Board, it represents«to limit the freedom and the right to food of millions of people«.
There is a clear division between European countries that ban ritual slaughter without stunning and those that allow it (with varying degrees of control):
- Ban on slaughter without stunningSweden, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Germany, Greece and much of Belgium.
- Countries that impose immediate stun after slaughter to reduce sufferingAustria, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, the Netherlands
- Countries that allow sacrifice 100% halal: France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Ireland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, Romania.
Europe moves forward, Catalonia moves backwards
The most progressive and animal-welfare-committed parts of Europe have already taken the step of banning religious slaughter without stunning. Countries such as Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Belgium and Greece have understood that no tradition can justify an animal's avoidable suffering. Even the highest European courts have upheld these decisions, making it clear that protecting animal life is perfectly compatible with religious freedom.
Other countries with small Muslim communities do not legislate on it because of the sector's insignificance. There are even some, such as Poland, that allow halal slaughter but ban its export. Meanwhile, Catalonia —which boasted of being a pioneer in animal rights with the ban on bullfighting— promotes and exports meat halal through public strategies to profit from animal suffering.
Do you want to know the reality of a halal slaughterhouse? Here's a video of suffering. halal of such magnitude that it requires age verification:
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