Millions of animals are suffering unnecessarily by being slaughtered without stunning to meet religious demands.
That's why we campaign to end religious exemptions to animal welfare laws.
Animal welfare law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise their pain, suffering and distress. The only exemption is for Jewish and Muslim communities to meet kosher and halal religious dietary preferences.
The scientific consensus is clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter. The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is permitted in the UK despite a recommendation by the government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), that the practice should be banned. FAWC concluded that animals slaughtered without pre-stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress".
RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association all support an end to non-stun slaughter to improve animal welfare at the time of death.
- 70% of Brits think stunning animals before slaughtering them is more ethical.
- 72% of the population think food produced from religious non-stun slaughter methods should be clearly labelled.
We support the right to religious freedom. But this is not an absolute right. Religious exemptions shouldn't be made to laws meant to prevent unnecessary animal cruelty.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to end the religious exemption that allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Non-stun slaughter ban comes into effect in northern Belgium
Posted: Wed, 2 Jan 2019 11:46
The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is set to be significantly reduced in Belgium after a ban came into effect in the north of the country.
A measure outlawing the slaughter of animals without pre-stunning took effect in the Flanders region on New Year's Day.
The region's parliament unanimously passed a resolution outlawing ritual slaughter without stunning in 2017. Flanders roughly covers the northern half of Belgium, also known as the Flemish region.
A similar measure is set to take effect in the Walloon region, which roughly covers the southern half of Belgium, in September. A committee of the Walloon parliament voted unanimously to end non-stun slaughter in 2017.
Slaughter of cows and calves will be exempt from the Walloon measure until a better stunning technique is developed for them.
The legislation in Flanders does not prevent non-stunned meat from being imported.
National Secular Society spokesperson Chris Sloggett said the legislation was "largely welcome" and should prompt similar action in the UK.
"Government policies on the treatment of animals should be led by the scientific evidence, which makes clear that non-stunned slaughter is inhumane. Religion should not be a get-out clause from reasonable protections on animal rights.
"The UK government should reflect on this legislation in Belgium and take similar steps to protect animal welfare and the principle of one law for all."
The NSS campaigns to repeal the religious exemption to animal welfare legislation. The exemption means animals may slaughtered without pre-stunning for religious reasons.
In October the NSS revealed that at least 17 councils were providing non-stun halal meat to dozens of schools.
The RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association have all criticised non-stun slaughter, along with many animal welfare experts.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) – a UK government body – has said animals slaughtered without stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress" before they become unconscious. FAWC has recommended outlawing non-stun slaughter.
The EU's scientific panel on animal health and welfare has said "pre-cut stunning should always be performed".
Ritual slaughter of animals without prior stunning is outlawed in European countries including Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The practice is partially outlawed in Switzerland.
In May two senior EU politicians said they would oppose restrictions on rituals such as genital cutting and religious animal slaughter, prompting NSS criticism.
Several religious leaders have criticised the Belgian measures including Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, and Menachem Margolin, who chairs the Europe Jewish Association.
Legal challenges have been launched against the legislation. One has been instigated by US-based think tank the Lawfare Project, which claims to campaign in favour of civil and human rights for Jews.
Government “committed” to reviewing food labelling, peer says
Posted: Fri, 14 Dec 2018 10:02
The government is "committed" to reviewing food labelling, one of its peers has said, amid criticism of a decision to allow the sale of non-stun halal meat to Saudi Arabia.
During a Lords debate on Wednesday Charlotte Vere said the government was "well aware of public concern around meat slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs".
She said the government was "committed" to reviewing food labelling "once our future partnership with the EU is clear". She said the government believed it needed "to look at labelling and improve it where we can".
She added: "We believe that if we can give consumers the information they require, they can make an informed choice."
Last year the government told the NSS it was "considering" introducing labelling requirements to show whether meat was from animals which had been stunned before slaughter.
But during the debate Vere also defended a government decision to issue "an export health certificate" which allows meat certified by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) to be sold to Saudi Arabia. HMC does not certify meat which has been stunned before slaughter as halal.
In August the National Secular Society and others criticised a decision to allow the sale of non-stun meat to Saudi Arabia as part of a deal worth £25m. The NSS said the decision would "normalise the mistreatment of animals".
In June The Times reported that the deal meant around 50,000 British lambs a year would be slaughtered and frozen before export. In this week's debate Vere said there was "no contract for 50,000 sheep to go to Saudi Arabia".
Crossbench peer Alexander Trees, who instigated the debate, asked whether the deal was "consistent" with the government's "commitment to maintain animal welfare standards after Brexit".
Trees also highlighted the fact that New Zealand has exported sheep to the Middle East, including to Saudi Arabia, from animals that have been stunned before slaughter and halal certified.
Janet Fookes, the deputy chair of committees and deputy speaker, Liberal Democrat Joan Bakewell, Labour's Jeff Rooker and Conservative Anne McIntosh also questioned the government's plans.
And crossbench peer Indarjit Singh raised the issue of halal food in school meals, asking if the government agreed "that the default position must be the provision of non-halal food".
But Labour's Robert Winston congratulated the government on its "sensitivity to the various religious minorities that carry out their practices in this country".
NSS spokesperson Chris Sloggett said the government "should take steps to reduce the prevalence of non-stun meat sooner rather than later".
"The government could and should repeal the religious exemption to the animal welfare laws.
"Labelling would help to curb the supply of non-stun meat and give consumers more confidence in the meat they buy. A review would be a small step in the right direction, but this must not become an excuse to kick the issue in to the long grass.
"And it is particularly troubling that the government is willing to export meat from animals which have not been stunned before slaughter. Even the inadequate argument we often hear that Jews and Muslims in the UK want non-stun meat is not relevant in this case.
"Veterinary experts are widely in agreement that killing animals without stunning them is inhumane. The government should listen to them."
