Belgium has joined Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Slovenia in not allowing ritual animal slaughter.
MOLLY QUELL: Religious groups argued their case against a Belgian law banning ritual animal slaughter before the European Union’s highest court on Wednesday, while Belgium denied the law infringes on religious freedom. The law, which requires that animals be stunned before being killed, effectively bans Jewish and Islamic slaughter practices and has created unlikely allies. Jews and Muslims argued together before the European Court of Justice that the law violates freedom of religion, while far-right politicians and animal welfare groups on the other side said Belgium is protecting animals.
“The measure is applied neutrally and thus does not constitute a violation of freedom of religion,” attorney Valérie De Schepper argued on behalf of the Belgian government. EU regulations require that animals be “rendered insensible to pain before slaughter,” but member states can make exceptions for religious rituals…. The Belgian authorities had argued that Jews and Muslims were able to import meat from other countries that have exemptions to EU law… Belgium has joined Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Slovenia in not allowing for any exemptions to the stunning requirement. The Netherlands and Germany permit ritual slaughter but only for meat consumed within their borders… A ruling on the case is expected later this year. SOURCE…
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