Muslim-Jewish Slaughter-War in Australia

The Age reports that Muslims and Jews are sniping at each other down under in Australia over whose form of ritual slaughter is more "humane."

Halal meat slaughter 'obeys law'
Lorna Edwards
August 7, 2007

THE Muslim organisation that oversees halal meat certification in Australia said it accepted the slaughter of animals with electrical stunning, as Muslims had to obey the law of the land wherever they live.

However, Kosher Australia defended the Jewish method of slaughter without prior stunning as humane and said it was unacceptable to stun animals first as they were often killed by the stunning.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils halal services manager, Mohamed Rahman, said Muslims in Australia had no issue with animals being unconscious when they were slaughtered.

He took a swipe at the Jewish slaughter methods for kosher food. "According to Islam, we have to respect the law of the country," he said.

"But for kosher, they don't accept anything which is stunned."

Under the standard for ritual slaughter in Australia, animals are stunned before their throats are slit for halal meat or immediately afterwards for kosher meat.

However, export abattoir Midfield Meats and three Victorian domestic abattoirs have special arrangements to slaughter without any form of stunning with federal and state regulators.

But Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick, the rabbinic administrator of Kosher Australia and president of the Organisation of Rabbis in Australasia, said the Jewish method of slaughter was not cruel.

"We believe that the Jewish method of slaughter in itself is humane and pain free and this belief is supported by numerous scientific studies," he said.

"Slaughter without stunning is allowed in many countries, such as the US and Britain, and as such we see no reason to oppose those who wish to conduct such slaughter here, provided always that this is also in accordance with current Australian Government policies and regulations.

Rabbi Gutnick said the reason that no form of stunning was acceptable to the Israeli export market was because kosher rules prohibited the consumption of blood and it was believed post-kill stunning interfered with the draining of blood from animal carcasses.

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran announced a review of the standard on ritual slaughter on Friday.

But animal welfare groups fear it will be used to find favourable science to justify killing without stunning and expand the practice.

An expert in animal welfare science, Professor Paul Hemsworth, said there were conflicting estimates of how much an animal suffered having its throat slit.

Studies had found an animal remained sensible to pain after its throat was cut anywhere from three to 85 seconds.

Professor Hemsworth said he believed anything over 15 seconds was a cruelty issue.

The RSPCA and Animals Australia believe any slaughter without stunning is inhumane and want the practice stopped while the review is conducted.