Every so often the subject of ‘halal’ is augmented for a variety of reasons. Recent report of the Farm Animal Welfare Council on the welfare of farmed animals at slaughter or killing for red meat has once again jostled the faith of the Muslim community in written laws and regulations.

Majority of proposals on animal welfare are amendable and conventional both to Muslims and the Jewish fraternity. For example, giving water and food to animals prior to slaughter, care for any pain, stress or discomfort during slaughter including provision of normal behavioural facility of space, cleanliness and prescribed facilities in large. Handling of animals in transit or awaiting slaughter, clean livestock policy, pain and distress during travel and, draining of flowing blood and so on are all part of halal ethos. These are, in act, encapsulated in the Islamic axioms.

Muslims are congruous to meat hygiene rule, hygiene dictum of slaughtering premises, cleaning of equipment and lines used and training of personnel for their own safety and matter

Perusing the report caused Muslims to be apprehensive and the angst cannot be measured whence reading clause 201. Muslims are now by this proposal being beseeched into eating meat from animals that have been ‘stunned to kill’. Islam is not against science or research and development. Exigency of harmony requires that decades of assiduous work to amend the rules and achieve the exemption are not bartered for the cloak of animal welfare. It is somewhat unfair to give guise of animal welfare to the expediency of machinery. Only a few decades ago red-meat animals were slaughtered on a cradle system without any pre-stunning here in the UK and on the mainland Europe. Admittedly number of animals, speed of the shackled like and the other operational stations within the abattoir do dictate efficiency for choice financial returns!

The Halal Food Authority (HFA) which regulates and monitors halal trade has been working with FAWC liaising and coordinating on various welfare issues and, the writer has personally attended FAWC seminars on assorted subjects and segments of animal welfare.

Welfare of Animal Slaughter and Killing Regulations 1999-400 that now defines the halal meat and poultry does finally give an exemption from stunning prior to slaughter. WASK 99-400 was fruit of years of deliberations by the Muslim Group of which I was a proud member on behalf of the HFA. Since Muslims are forbidden to eat carrion and flowing blood is also proscribed, it is necessary to ensure that the animal is alive and healthy prior to slaughtering.

Muslim community had with reluctance agreed to exculpate the edict not to hang the animals upside down. However in agreeing to verified controlled immobilisation of the animals prior to slaughter, we should not be made obliged to absolve our religious right of ensuring that the animal has not succumbed to any extraneous force applied.

HFA commends FAWC on recommending phasing out the gas stunning, which without a doubt is an abhorrent mode of practice and, to reviewing of the captive bolt system is also to be appreciated.

Symbol of halal verification ascribed and depicted on authenticated red meat, poultry and foodstuffs packaging and wrap-over's subsequent to due contractual audit by the Halal Food Authority, are cognizant of compliance of Islamic rules nationally and internationally. Inspection regime includes checks on meat hygiene, HACCP and logged records of food safety. HFA has always operated on reciprocal basis with international halal validating organisations for recognising each other’s halal verification.

We are positive that the recommendation made in section 201 for repealing facilities accorded to the Muslim and the Jewish community would result in rescission by the Minister of state of DEFRA. It is hoped that no one contemplates the idea of acquiescence by Muslims of an ideology that might make them contravene their religious laws now or in the future.

Masood Khawaja
President Halal Food Authority

[first published in The House Magazine, the Parliament Weekly no. 10049 Vol. 28 July 14, 2003]

©Halal Food Authority 2006