With a clear decision, the Slovenian Constitutional Court ended a lengthy discussion on the slaughter of animals without anesthesia, meaning the flesh “halal”, as demanded by Islam. This remains banned in Slovenia, the judges unanimously confirmed. The Muslim community has requested the review of this law.
The ban on anesthetic slaughter also comes into force in Wallonia.

No violation of religious freedom

The country’s supreme court argued that the constitution did not allow animals to be easily avoided for unjustifiable causes and that the law did not disproportionately affect the right to religious freedom.
The Muslim community sees this differently, arguing that the method of ritual slaughter prescribed by Islamic law, which does not provide for stunning, is an integral part of the Muslim religion – and thus also of its religious freedom.

Shedding is considered an animal torture

However, the Constitutional Court insists that the protection of animals against torture contributes to the observance of important moral principles.
A state can prohibit acts that run counter to the basic rules and moral framework of a society without unduly interfering with the right to religious freedom, said the judges, who unanimously passed their decision.

Animal welfare law: no slaughter without anesthesia

The animal protection law prohibits not only the ritual slaughter in Islam, but any kind of slaughter without anesthesia. Although this hampers access to Halal meat, it does not prevent it because Halal-standard slaughter is possible abroad, the judges argued.

http://www.wochenblick.at/slowenien-verfassungsgericht-verbietet-halal-schlachtung/

My comment: Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (ZJD) has a different opinion: “The ban on the slaughter without stunning, which is now also in force in Wallonia, is another sign that religious freedom is under attack across Europe.” !!

His hope “… that the European Court will lift the ban …” will hardly be fulfilled. A ban on slaughter without stunning does not violate religious freedom, ritual slaughter is not a service of God. It is a barbaric animal cruelty!

At the same time we condemn without prejudice the annually thousands of “false stunning” in German slaughterhouses. Despite decades of protests from animal rights activists and responsible citizens, these crimes continue to be practiced, even though they are unlawful under the law.

It is disappointing and shameful for President of ZJD not to understand that animals are sentient beings, our fellow creatures with the same feelings, sensitivities, sensations, needs and social structures with which cold-blooded people commit the worst crimes as if they were not animals, but machines or objects. What is this life-despising religion that allows an archaic, gruesome, anesthetic-free slaughter of animals?

“For the animals every day is Treblinka,” said the countryman of Mr. Suster, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and not only in relation to the shafts.
The President of the Central Council of Jews should urgently recall these words of a Jew.

Best regards to all, Venus