Amid right-wing demands for halal slaughter to be banned in Britain, meat scientist and halal industry expert, Dr Awal Fuseini, explains what halal actually is, whether it is “barbaric” or not, and Islam’s emphasis on animal welfare.
The slaughter of animals for human consumption, whether halal or not, is an emotive issue that has divided opinions in modern times.
Some people believe that animals should never be slaughtered for food; others argue that animal protein must be consumed because it provides the body with nutrients required for growth and maintenance.
So, whether halal or conventional slaughter, it is important to note that the slaughter of animals is an emotive subject, and the process, regardless of how it is carried out, isn’t entirely pain-free for the animal.
For Muslims, there are conditions for the slaughter of animals. Animals cannot be slaughtered for fun or entertainment; there must be a justifiable reason.
Justifiable reasons could include providing nutrition, fighting diseases, or protecting humans from harm. Halal slaughter is a commandment from Allah (SWT), and there is strict guidance on how animals should be slaughtered while protecting their welfare and the safety of those processing them to the best possible ability.
What is halal?
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Halal is an Arabic term which literally translates to anything that is permissible. So, for meat to be halal, the animal must be a permissible species, a short prayer must be said by a Muslim or person of the book (Christian or Jew) prior to the neck cutting, and the knife used must be sharp to avoid causing animals unnecessary suffering.
They must be restrained, held in place in a gentle way and slaughtered using the best slaughter techniques, including the use of very sharp knife and skilled slaughter operatives.
The slice to the neck must be quick and the animal should not see the instruments of their demise in order to avoid placing the animal into severe stress.
Not all animals can be slaughtered for consumption by Muslims. Meat from pigs for instance is totally forbidden.
This means even if slaughtered by a Muslim, meat from pigs will always be forbidden for Muslims. This does not mean Muslims should not respect the welfare of pigs, they simply cannot consume or trade in pigs or pork.
For halal requirements to be met, the animal must have been alive at the moment of slaughter, all the blood must be drained out and the meat must be clean and taken from an animal that has eaten good food and lived a good quality life before death.
Can animals be stunned during halal slaughter?
Historically, for pretty much all of human history, both halal and non-halal animals were slaughtered without any form of stunning. However, in the last couple of centuries or so, the development of various stunning techniques has led to regulations requiring the stunning of animals in some countries.
While some countries have made provision for Muslims (halal) and Jews (shechita) to continue to slaughter animals without stunning, others have completely outlawed the practice.
The debate over whether halal slaughter should be banned or not usually fixates on the question of whether halal slaughter can be carried out with stunning or not. The answer to this question is yes, but depending on the type of stunning.
This is because during halal slaughter, the death of the animal must be caused by blood loss, and not by any other intervention. So, if the animal is to be stunned, the method of stunning must be non-lethal. Research has shown that the use of a stunning method called “head-only electrical stunning” induces unconsciousness without causing the death of the animal.
Therefore, many halal abattoirs use this method of stunning with the aim of reducing the pain associated with the neck cut, while still meeting the halal rules. This method is mainly used for sheep and goats.
It is therefore important that when discussing stunning and halal slaughter, the method of stunning is specified because there are other stunning methods, such as mechanical and gas stunning, which are likely to cause the death of animals before slaughter, so most halal processors avoid these methods of stunning.
In the UK for instance, lambs are slaughtered mainly with non-lethal (reversible) stunning prior to slaughter. Shechita slaughter (Jewish slaughter) on the other hand is carried out without stunning.
Currently, the majority of halal slaughter is conducted while using stunning technics. Around 80% while approx 20% uses no stunning whatsoever.
Despite this, some right-wing groups within the UK and elsewhere have often attacked halal slaughter specifically for being “barbaric” and calling for halal slaughter to be banned.
It is important to note that some Muslims do reject the idea of any form of stunning being used and simply wish to consume meat in the way it was slaughtered during the time of the Prophets. Which is the same argument used by Jews to defend kosher slaughter.
How important is animal welfare during Halal slaughter?
The Prophet of Islam, Mohammad (peace be upon him), was a known animal welfare advocate who reprimanded the followers of Islam anytime they deviated from the expected etiquette regarding the treatment of animals. He is reported to have said:
‘Verily Allah has prescribed ihsan (proficiency, perfection) in all things. So, if you kill then kill well; and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters’ (Muslim).
The above extract from the hadith calls on Muslims to adopt the best slaughter and killing methods in order to spare animals suffering. It further highlights the fact that during slaughter, it is paramount to sharpen knives in order to carry out a quick and humane slaughter.
There are other religious sources where the welfare of the animal is emphasised. Therefore, it is a religious obligation for Muslims to safeguard the welfare of animals from the point of birth or hatching to the point of slaughter.
What is the economic significance of Halal?
Muslims are known to consume a large proportion of meat. If we take the UK as an example, Muslims make up 6.5% of the population, however, they account for 30% of the total lamb consumed in the UK, according to data published by the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Further, Muslims consume the majority of mutton produced in the UK, so they are major supporters of UK farmers and contributors to the UK economy.
Without the halal market, the UK meat industry would struggle to find market for its lamb and mutton.
Chicken is also heavily consumed by Muslims. Out of the total chicken slaughtered in the UK, halal slaughter accounts for about 21%, according to data published by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Aside from the UK, there is a growing Muslim population in Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Asia and Africa. The Muslim population in these countries ’over-index in meat consumption.
Therefore, a ban on halal slaughter would not only cause hardship for ordinary Muslims across the UK but would take a major economic toll on the entire British meat industry itself.
For further reading, refer to the AHDB Halal website and Halal Food Information Centre for more insight.
