The Muslim world recently celebrated the Festival of Sacrifice. Eid al-Adha is the second and most important of the two Eid festivals. In the Hebrew Bible Abraham is called upon to sacrifice Isaac. At the last moment Abraham’s hand is stayed and he finds a ram to sacrifice. The Muslims believe that Abraham was called upon to sacrifice Ishmael. To celebrate the fact that he was not sacrificed they sacrifice animals; lots of animals, on this Festival.
Islamic law requires that animals intended for human consumption be slain in a certain manner. Halal slaughter claims to be one of the more humane methods available to the meat industry and the only method acceptable for Muslim consumers. Here are some of the conditions that must be followed.
The animal must be alive at the time of slaughter.
- The windpipe (throat), food-tract (oesophagus) and the two jugular veins must be cut.
- The slaughtering must be done in one stroke without lifting the knife. The knife should not be placed and lifted when slaughtering the animal.
- Slaughtering must be done by a sane adult Muslim. Animals slaughtered by a Non Muslim will not be Halal.
- The name of Allah must be invoked (mentioned) at the time of slaughtering by saying: Bismillah Allahu Akbar. (In the Name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest.)
- The head of the animal must not be cut off during slaughtering but later after the animal is completely dead, even the knife should not go deep into the spinal cord.
- Skinning or cutting any part of the animal is not allowed before the animal is completely dead.
Here is a video of Halal slaughter during the Festival of Sacrifice in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city in Islam. The Halal meat from the Halal slaughter will be shared with all. The same Halal festivities take place in all Muslim communities all over the world, including Canada.
Imam Shabir Ally says there are very specific rules and protocols to be followed while performing the ritual.
“Even when it comes down to slaughtering an animal, that too shall be done with kindness. You are to feed the animal well, keep the animal in as good condition as possible and when it comes time for slaughtering, you should sharpen your blade so that the cut should be swift.”
Islamic Law prohibits causing the cattle (animal) fear or suffering before slaughtering.
Muslims all over the world sacrifice animals according to Halal. According to Tarek Fatah, a Canadian journalist, writer, broadcaster, secularist and liberal activist, and a founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, serving as its communications officer and spokesperson, wrote about turning the slaughter into a festivity. According to Tarek Fatah the sacrifice of cattle harms diversity.
“The animal is no longer the ram, goat or sheep, but now includes cows that are considered holy by Hindus and thus trigger community tensions.”
In his article Fatah included the video of a cow being slaughtered, under Halal, in Milton Ontario.
Farzana Hassan a well-known writer and commentator on Islam and Muslim issues who headed a number of Canadian organizations, including the progressive Muslim Canadian Congress wrote:
“Before meeting their fate, the sacrificial animals are bedecked, bejeweled and indulged in every way possible. … The most disturbing aspect of this tradition is that children are encouraged to develop an affection for the animal — and then often forced to witness its slaughter.”
Here is a video of a child having his goat taken away for halal slaughter.
Here is a video of the Halal slaughter in Gaza 2013.
Here is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Festival of Sacrifice greeting to the Muslim community.
Here is a “different” version of that video.
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
