LI NETWORK
The European Court of Justice has allowed banning the religious slaughtering – Halal and Kosher in the European Union states.
The Court ruled in favour of the rule of the Flemish region (Belgium) that has banned the slaughtering of animals with no stunning.
The rule had ordered to stun the livestock before slaughter.
The Court of Justice of the European Union said:
“The court concludes that the measures contained in the decree allow a fair balance to be struck between the importance attached to animal welfare and the freedom of Jewish and Muslim believers to manifest their religion.”
Muslims and Jews contended that banning Halal and Kosher was a denial of their fundamental rights in a democracy.
Halal and Kosher require the animal alive while the throat is slit.
A Jewish group in Belgium has said that the order was ‘denial of democracy’ as the fundamental rights of the minority groups were not respected.
Yohan Benizri, President of Jewish Organizations in Belgium, said, “The fight continues, and we will not admit defeat until we have exhausted all our legal remedies, which is not yet the case.”
The case was revolving around animal welfare and the right to religious freedom which is guaranteed under the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights.