Will Scotland Ban Kosher/Halal Animal Torture?
ANIMAL rights campaigners will call on MSPs this week to ban the Islamic and Jewish method of slaughtering animals, claiming there can be no exemptions purely on the grounds of religious belief. A petition will be heard, backed by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), arguing that animals can only be killed in Scotland if pre-stunned first. Jews and Muslims believe that animals should be slaughtered using methods known as the ‘schechita’ and ‘dhabiha’ respectively. A sharp knife is used to cut its throat. The meat must then be ‘purified’ by the blood being drained and the spinal cord removed. In Jewish custom, the meat is then described as kosher, while in Muslim tradition it is halal. The call for a ban was brought forward earlier this year by animal rights activist Josey Rowan, and MSPs on Holyrood’s petitions committee agreed to take evidence on the matter. It will be heard by MSPs this week. Rowan said: “I fully recognise the requirement for religio
