Freedom of religion

The proponents of clash of civilizations never run out of excuses. What earlier used to be Islamophobia now seems transformed into religio-phobia. The Netherlands, once known for its religious tolerance, leads the way to scaring followers of Judaism and Islam with a recent legislation. Owing to a bill motivated by animal rights groups, religious slaughter is to be banned except that the process is proven less painful for animal than modern technique of stunning.

Though the legislation has not come into effect yet, the Netherlands has been making headlines in Muslim and Jewish media worldwide. After completing the summer recess, the Dutch Senate would convene to approve the bill into an act of Parliament or law. New Zealand is the first country to ban religious slaughter in the name of ‘animal rights’. In one form or the other, ban on religious slaughter exists in Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The Dutch legislation move can initiate a fresh wave of similar bans across the entire continental Europe.

Consumers of the Muslim halal and Jewish kosher meat refuse to admit that stunning causes lesser pain to the animal than the religious way. The Jewish and Muslim rituals involve gradual slaughter as in the first phase jugular vein is cut but until entire blood is drained from the animal’s body, the spinal cord is not severed.

The Party for the Animals, which has just two parliamentary seats, aims at eventual banning of kosher/halal meet into the Netherlands. On the other hand, both Abrahamic religions agree that the religious slaughter is far better than mass killing on a conveyor belt. The Muslims and Jews take a wide angle view of the animal raising, such as gene mutated shaver chickens, pointing out serious animal right violations in the modern and more acceptable manner of slaughter.

Religious aspect notwithstanding, the ban would severely hit religious slaughter industry in the Netherlands, thus causing protests and uproar for employment reasons as well. Most Muslim and Jew butcher families have been associated with the business for over three decades.

A decade after 9/11, such indication of religious and cultural intolerance reflect badly on European nations where integration of immigrants already posses a fundamental challenge to governments as well as civil society. Thanks to delay in convening of the Dutch Senate session, sanity may prevail and the Dutch parliament may rethink instead of becoming hostage to a radical minority party.