Greece bans Halal slaughter of animals : Greece Apex Court

Slaughtering animals by Halal method being inhumane – Court’s opinion

Editorial comment

If Greece Court can give this kind of decision then India too should take such a decision. At the same time, it should ban Halal Certificates also.

Athens (Greece) – Greece Apex Court has banned the slaughtering of animals by the ‘Halal’ method. The Court termed it as ‘Inhumane’. The Apex Court gave this verdict during the hearing of the appeal made by the Pan-Hellenic Animal Welfare Federation and Environmental Federation. These Federations had made a demand of anaesthetising the animal before it is killed. As per the decision of the Court, before killing any animal, it should be anesthetised.

Greece bans Halal

The apex court cited the killings by such a method as #inhumane#Greece #Halal https://t.co/S4nYHNoURy

— tfipost.com (@tfipost) November 8, 2021

While giving the verdict the Court said that while looking to the traditions of any religion, we cannot ignore the rights of animals. The Government should establish harmony between the rights of animals and religious traditions; it should also have vigil on slaughterhouses.

Some Religious organisations in Greece have objected to this decision of the Court. European Jew Association’s chairman Rabbi Margolin criticised the decision saying that this was interference in Jewish freedom of religion. He added that Jewish religious freedom is being attacked all over Europe.

On 17th December 2020, Belgium Court had laid a ban of this kind. In the Flemish city of Belgium, it was made compulsory to anesthetise the animal before it was killed.

What is ‘Halal meat’ ?

In Indian religions like Hindu, Sikh, etc. animals are killed by the ‘Jhatka’ method. In this, the neck of the animal is cut at once. Due to this, the animal suffers less. Conversely, in the Halal method, the jugular vein of the creatures is cut and it is left to bleed to death. Such meat is known as Halal meat. While sacrificing these creatures, their face is kept in the direction of Mecca. Also, this work is not given to non-Muslims.