Jungibaaz
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The thing about Halal slaughter is, the arguments against it can be basically summed up into 3 more dominant categories, the first being; that Halal slaughter is unnecessarily cruel compared to all other forms of slaughter. The second; that all slaughter including Halal, or especially Halal is wrong and should be stopped. The last is to do with not wanting Muslim practices such as Halal for the sake of not having as much Islamic influence, or culture; a popular argument used here is that Halal slaughter and food industry supports terrorism or is one way or another not very British etc.
There's something wrong with all 3 of these types. So the first type is all about animal cruelty and suffering at the time of slaughter and the norm of this opinion is that Halal is worst in it's category.
The first becomes somewhat less valid when one considers the fact that the only thing separating Halal slaughter from Kosher slaughter is prayer recited, a meaningless distinction for most that oppose Halal or Kosher or both. So if you are to ban Halal slaughter, there is really no reason not to do the same for Kosher, in fact it would playing at double standards. Another issue with this argument is that animal cruelty during slaughter or before is complicated by the issue of stunning, legal requirements. And if cruelty at one point of the 'manufacturing' process for meat and poultry is considered it cannot be ignored elsewhere. You'd have to take on giant food chains that rely on battery chickens, mutilated livestock, cruelty before slaughter and there's plenty of it. I for one, if I were to consider being vegan for a day and adapt all vegan beliefs and morals, would be more worried with what happens before slaughter, the fact that efficiency and consumption in a capitalist environment leads to these living creatures and livestock being regarded as 'goods' and not animals. The cruelty of large farms, chain slaughter houses and suppliers of these big supermarkets and fast food stores is far more cruel, be they be serving meat slaughtered the Halal way or Kosher way or stunned, or hit over the head with a hammer.
The second argument is MOST valid, it's the pure vegan way, or pure vegetarian belief. That all slaughter is bad, all animal products are bad, no exceptions. This is in fact the most valid and least hypocritical position. BUT, it too has a huge problem, it's not popular and the majority would quickly and overwhelmingly overrule any such notions.
The last argument, is both the least valid and the least honest. Officially it will always put a serious and politically correct face on it's ideas, but inwardly it's hypocrisy, open hypocrisy and is not supported by the conventions it claims to uphold.
And it is the people that hold to the last argument, the far right, BNP, UKIP, Britain First that have taken the call against Halal, and sadly many Brits from all the above arguments seem to support it.
I do agree that following the laws of a nation is something absolute unless you perceive oppression too much to bare, and banning slaughter probably doesn't count.
But, if you were living where you are now and they changed the law tomorrow, would you then just accept it as something absolute and final, or would you 'moan', protest, debate to make said change back to whatever norm you perceive?
There's something wrong with all 3 of these types. So the first type is all about animal cruelty and suffering at the time of slaughter and the norm of this opinion is that Halal is worst in it's category.
The first becomes somewhat less valid when one considers the fact that the only thing separating Halal slaughter from Kosher slaughter is prayer recited, a meaningless distinction for most that oppose Halal or Kosher or both. So if you are to ban Halal slaughter, there is really no reason not to do the same for Kosher, in fact it would playing at double standards. Another issue with this argument is that animal cruelty during slaughter or before is complicated by the issue of stunning, legal requirements. And if cruelty at one point of the 'manufacturing' process for meat and poultry is considered it cannot be ignored elsewhere. You'd have to take on giant food chains that rely on battery chickens, mutilated livestock, cruelty before slaughter and there's plenty of it. I for one, if I were to consider being vegan for a day and adapt all vegan beliefs and morals, would be more worried with what happens before slaughter, the fact that efficiency and consumption in a capitalist environment leads to these living creatures and livestock being regarded as 'goods' and not animals. The cruelty of large farms, chain slaughter houses and suppliers of these big supermarkets and fast food stores is far more cruel, be they be serving meat slaughtered the Halal way or Kosher way or stunned, or hit over the head with a hammer.
The second argument is MOST valid, it's the pure vegan way, or pure vegetarian belief. That all slaughter is bad, all animal products are bad, no exceptions. This is in fact the most valid and least hypocritical position. BUT, it too has a huge problem, it's not popular and the majority would quickly and overwhelmingly overrule any such notions.
The last argument, is both the least valid and the least honest. Officially it will always put a serious and politically correct face on it's ideas, but inwardly it's hypocrisy, open hypocrisy and is not supported by the conventions it claims to uphold.
And it is the people that hold to the last argument, the far right, BNP, UKIP, Britain First that have taken the call against Halal, and sadly many Brits from all the above arguments seem to support it.
I do agree that following the laws of a nation is something absolute unless you perceive oppression too much to bare, and banning slaughter probably doesn't count.
But, if you were living where you are now and they changed the law tomorrow, would you then just accept it as something absolute and final, or would you 'moan', protest, debate to make said change back to whatever norm you perceive?
