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
Polish court rules that ritual slaughter is unconstitutional and illegal
Posted: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:14
Poland's highest court, the Constitutional Tribunal, ruled this week that the ritual slaughter of animals by religious groups violates the country's constitution and animal protection laws.
The ruling contradicts EU regulations that allow ritual slaughter on the grounds of religious freedom.
The Constitutional Tribunal said regulations allowing for animals to be bled to death without being pre-stunned are against Polish law. It also said that in issuing regulations that allow for such practices, the agriculture minister exceeded his powers and violated the constitution.
An EU law goes into effect on 1 January 2013 allowing ritual slaughter. However, the new regulation ((EC) 1099/2009) does permit member states to adopt new stricter national rules with regard to non-stun slaughter.
In a similar dispute in the Netherlands, the lower house of parliament approved a ban last year.
Animal rights groups and a large anti-Islam political party – and a majority of Dutch voters – supported the bill. But after an outcry that the ban would violate religious freedoms, support evaporated when the bill was sent to the upper house.
The UK Government consulted on the issue in the autumn, and new domestic regulations to implement and enforce the European Council regulation are expected soon. The Government has said it would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but supports the exemption as it "recognises the preferences of the Jewish and Muslim communities and accepts the importance which they attach to the right to slaughter animals for food in accordance with their beliefs".
NSS calls on Government to end religious exemption from animal welfare laws
Posted: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:26
The National Secular Society has called on the Government to end the religious exemption to animal welfare legislation that permits animals to be slaughtered without stunning.
Non-stun slaughter 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.
The scientific consensus is clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter than not to do so. An end to the exemption that permits non-stun slaughter is supported by the EU's Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, The British Veterinary Association, The RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming, amongst others.
In its response to a DEFRA consultation on Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing, the NSS has urged the Government to adopt new stricter national rules to prohibit non-stun slaughter. Until such time as the exemption is removed, the NSS has called for the mandatory labelling of meat and meat products derived from animals killed by non-stun slaughter methods.
The exemption for religious slaughter restricts meat slaughtered by the Shechita method to Jews and by some Halal methods to Muslims. However, the Scottish Government has recently admitted that this targeting of supply has not been enforced. As a result, meat from non-stun slaughter routinely enters the general food chain.
Stephen Evans, Campaigns Manager at the National Secular Society said: "Permitting meat from non-stun religious slaughter methods to enter the general food chain is not only ethically unacceptable, it is also unlawful.
"As long as the Government insists on granting privilege to religious groups, permitting slaughter methods that cause unnecessary pain, suffering and distress, it has a duty to ensure that no more animals are slaughtered under the exemption than is absolutely necessary to meet religious demand. Labelling would at least ensure people who wish to avoid meat from religious slaughter are able to do so. At present, unwitting consumers are subsidising the religious slaughter industry and that is simply unacceptable."
New domestic regulations will come before Parliament at the end of 2012 to implement and enforce European Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. While this regulation allows religious slaughter to continue, individual member states can impose stricter rules in relation to religious slaughter and can refuse to exempt religious slaughter from pre-stunning regulations.
If you support new stricter national rules to end the exemption in relation to religious slaughter and wish to ensure all animals are stunned prior to slaughter please take part in the consultation.
The English consultation closes on 24 October. The Scottish consultation ends on 26 October and the Welsh consultation Closes 5 November 2012.
Our response to the Defra consultation can be read here.To find out more read read the NSS campaign briefing on this issue.
