Dutch MPs vote to ban religious slaughter

A bill which would ban the slaughtering of animals using halal and kosher slaughter methods has passed the Dutch parliament with a wide majority, despite opposition from Muslim and Jewish groups who say a ban would impinge on their religious freedoms. The bill still has to pass the Dutch senate.

Both halal and kosher slaughter rules prescribe that animals' throats must be cut while they are still conscious, so that they bleed to death. The Party for Animals, the main proponents of bill, argue that sparing animals needless suffering outweighs religious groups' rights to follow their chosen slaughter practices. According to Karen Soeters of the Party for Animals:

"[Animals slaughtered by these methods] stay conscious for up to 5 minutes. They lose a lot of blood and they can choke on their own blood . . . research shows that with kosher slaughter [animals must be cut] on average 3.5 times, and with halal 5.5 times."

A solid majority of Dutch voters support the ban, and parliament voted for it by a margin of 116 to 30.

Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland also ban religious slaughter methods.