Legislation that effectively bans religious slaughter of meat for food in the French-speaking region of Wallonia in Belgium came into effect. A similar provision has already been enforced in the region of the Flanders since the beginning of the year.
Local and European Jewish leaders expressed their concern at a severe limitation to religious freedom in the heart of the European Union.
Belgium is made up of three regions, Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels. The city of Brussels serves as the capital of the country, but it is also considered the unofficial capital of the European Union since several of the EU central institutions are located in the city.
Although the decision was passed in the name of animal welfare, the bill was also supported by far-right movements as an anti-Muslim measure.
Religious slaughter has already been banned in some EU countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, and other nations on the European continent, such as Switzerland and Norway.
The bill passed by the Wallonia Parliament states that animals must be stunned before being killed. The technique is not acceptable both in Jewish and Muslim religious slaughter. A clause of the bill provides that in case of religious slaughter, reversible stunning can be employed. According to a report by Politico Europe, this is considered acceptable within some sectors of the Muslim community, but any form of stunning is completely not acceptable for producing kosher meat.
The ban has already been challenged before the Belgium Constitutional Court, which referred the decision to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
“We feel cautiously optimistic since Luxembourg judges in the past decided against violation of religious freedom and human rights,” Chief Rabbi of Brussels Albert Guigui said.
“We will continue to fight resolutely against this decision until it is annulled,” he added.
