“Be Halal” lobbies Defra on halal and welfare

Dear Minister,

Behalal.org is a non political and non profit voluntary organisation set up to safeguard the halal diet. We advocate the safeguarding and improvement of animal welfare. Animal welfare in the Islamic faith is an obligation and part of worship for Muslims to ensure they safeguard welfare from birth until death and therefore it forms a crucial element of halal slaughter.

I write to you as a Minister who has always been a proponent for the protection and improvement of animal welfare.

We are deeply concerned about decisions made by defra in the forth coming WATOK Regulation to be laid on 5th November 2015, to not allow independent scientific research conducted by Bristol University and AHDB that clearly shows that welfare would improve by demonstrating that sequential restraining of lambs in a group is better for welfare*. This evidence relates to slaughter including using non-stun methods.  It had been hoped this evidence would have allowed a change in the WATOK regulation.

As you are aware the European Regulation 1099-2009 instructs that new scientific research should be taken into account for methods of restraining, stunning, slaughter, etc. We are concerned that the independent scientific evidence that this Regulation necessitates has not been given consideration by defra and therefore maybe a breach.

We are seeking that the WATOK regulation be drafted by Defra to permit sheep to follow each other into the V restrainer without unnecessary handling, in accordance with independent scientific advice to maintain welfare.

Lastly, if you do not allow this amendment defra effectively will not only be forcing producers to cause distress by compromising welfare at slaughter especially during non stun slaughter, they shall be acting against the Religious Rights/Freedoms and protection to slaughter animals in accordance set within the Islamic faith an obligation to safeguard welfare. Furthermore, defra will greatly disadvantage non stun producers by effectively slowing the speed of production which will have a negative economic market effect and importantly for Muslim consumers as they may have less available non stun halal meat available to them which affects their religious freedom to practise their faith.

We look forward to a resolve to this issue that demonstrates that defra is indeed a neutral government organisation that objectively makes decisions than a draconian approach to an important piece of legislation that will have a dire consequence for the welfare of animals and followers of faith groups like Muslims who are seeking meat from non stunned animals especially in light of scientific evidence.

I look forward to your response to the raised issues above.

Kind regards,

Ruksana Shain
Be Halal

Web: www.behalal.org

*(http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/events/conference-2015/halal-seminar-2015/)

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