Dutch ban on Kosher and Halal meats. The Tundra Tabloids has to take an opposing view to Vlad’s opinion on what should or shouldn’t be done vis-a-vis Kosher and Islamic ritual slaughter. Vlad writes:
The National post just published this article as a sort of follow up on the previous one and I wish to take issue with much of what is said in it. Many of the comments on the previous post actually made some important points and if true, do change the equation somewhat. For example, if indeed the kosher method really does kill the animal with the same or less pain than the usual Western industrial methods, then it should be allowed based on that standard.
But I cannot let rabbis say that this means ‘no Jews allowed’, as they do in this article, in Holland. It just means if they insist on eating only Kosher meat they have to be vegetarian or get the meat from Belgium. Life is about choices. Democracy makes laws for the public good now and again and while I do not agree with many of them, if they do not apply to all and exceptions can be made for the most irrational reasons, then there is no point in making them at all.
The point I make to Vlad is that he should follow his own guideline concerning the burka ban brouhaha, allow the people for themselves to decide what they will or won’t allow into their establishments, for example owners of stores, clubs, eateries and swimming halls etc..
Kosher and halal meat should always be labeled, and if the people decide that it’s not of their choosing, then support for it will wane. How much cost is placed upon the particular Kosher or Halal consumer is of secondary consideration. Also, under no circumstances should any of the ritual slaughter industry be subsidized by the state (read = taxpayers).
Fair is fair, the people will not allow for hunting to be banned, which is far more cruel (I’ve seen animals bleeding out from arrow and gunshot wounds) than Kosher slaughtering (halal is a cheap knockdown version of Kosher rules for slaughter and far less exact) so neither should ritual slaughter.
As far as Halal is concerned, the public needs to know that the marketing of it is also part of a political fundamustard agenda to make society Halal (read= Islamic) compliant. Or in other words, a furthering of the Islamization project of society, a concept that is totally alien to Judaism. KGS
NOTE: Without the rise of the threat of Islam and Islamization, Kosher ritual slaughter would only be a PETA concern. We would not be addressing the issue of ritual slaughter, no one would really care.
As you know, I agree with you KGS, especially about the subsidizing (don’t think it’s happening here, but then again: you never know). As for the labeling, they discussed that about a few months ago and they voted against it. I’m for labeling, because the some supermarkets actually sell Halal meat and don’t tell their costumers. Second thing about the ban, which I think is ridiculous, is that they will also ban all the import. Some people might say: well eat vegetarian. That’s very easy to say, I tried it, and believe you me: it’s not that easy.
What annoys me the most is that this discussion has been going on for months and both side used a lot of emotional arguments. A poll showed that about three quarter of the Dutch voters is against ritual slaughtering (which is odd, because most people buy their meat in the supermarket). After the debate the polls showed that the Animal Rights Party would have 3 seats instead of 2. One member of the Animal Rights Party (still can’t believe we even have one, don’t we have other problems?) admitted that the only slaughter they can ban is the religious kind and yesterday I read an interview with the leaders party saying that she initiated the debate simply because the last administration refused to even discuss it. Reading all of that and following the debate made me realize that this is not about animal rights or whatever, it’s about opportunism. A few days before the ban all the parties were invited to witness kosher slaughtering and see if they would find it cruel, but only the Christian parties showed up. The animal rights party that initiated the debate didn’t even bother to show up.