Supermarkets selling Halal meat......

[beorhthelm]

so what we've learnt from this episode above all else is that infact, contrary to popular knowledge amongst even the muslim community, halal does not necessarily involve killing an animal un-stunned, and that most meat eaters are squemish about what happens to get meat from farm to superstore.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There's always the traditional English way.

Jude The Obscure - Thomas Hardy


The time arrived for killing the pig which Jude and his wife had fattened in their sty during the autumn months, and the butchering was timed to take place as soon as it was light in the morning, so that Jude might get to Alfredston without losing more than a quarter of a day.

The night had seemed strangely silent. Jude looked out of the window long before dawn, and perceived that the ground was covered with snow-- snow rather deep for the season, it seemed, a few flakes still falling.

"I'm afraid the pig-killer won't be able to come," he said to Arabella.

"Oh, he'll come. You must get up and make the water hot, if you want Challow to scald him. Though I like singeing best."

"I'll get up," said Jude. "I like the way of my own county."

He went downstairs, lit the fire under the copper, and began feeding it with bean-stalks, all the time without a candle, the blaze flinging a cheerful shine into the room; though for him the sense of cheerfulness was lessened by thoughts on the reason of that blaze--to heat water to scald the bristles from the body of an animal that as yet lived, and whose voice could be continually heard from a corner of the garden. At half-past six, the time of appointment with the butcher, the water boiled, and Jude's wife came downstairs.

"Is Challow come?" she asked.

"No."

They waited, and it grew lighter, with the dreary light of a snowy dawn. She went out, gazed along the road, and returning said, "He's not coming. Drunk last night, I expect. The snow is not enough to hinder him, surely!"

"Then we must put it off. It is only the water boiled for nothing. The snow may be deep in the valley."

"Can't be put off. There's no more victuals for the pig. He ate the last mixing o' barleymeal yesterday morning."

"Yesterday morning? What has he lived on since?"

"Nothing."

"What--he has been starving?"

"Yes. We always do it the last day or two, to save bother with the innerds. What ignorance, not to know that!"

"That accounts for his crying so. Poor creature!"

"Well--you must do the sticking--there's no help for it. I'll show you how. Or I'll do it myself--I think I could. Though as it is such a big pig I had rather Challow had done it. However, his basket o' knives and things have been already sent on here, and we can use 'em."

"Of course you shan't do it," said Jude. "I'll do it, since it must be done."

He went out to the sty, shovelled away the snow for the space of a couple of yards or more, and placed the stool in front, with the knives and ropes at hand. A robin peered down at the preparations from the nearest tree, and, not liking the sinister look of the scene, flew away, though hungry. By this time Arabella had joined her husband, and Jude, rope in hand, got into the sty, and noosed the affrighted animal, who, beginning with a squeak of surprise, rose to repeated cries of rage. Arabella opened the sty-door, and together they hoisted the victim on to the stool, legs upward, and while Jude held him Arabella bound him down, looping the cord over his legs to keep him from struggling.

The animal's note changed its quality. It was not now rage, but the cry of despair; long-drawn, slow and hopeless.

"Upon my soul I would sooner have gone without the pig than have had this to do!" said Jude. "A creature I have fed with my own hands."

"Don't be such a tender-hearted fool! There's the sticking-knife-- the one with the point. Now whatever you do, don't stick un too deep."

"I'll stick him effectually, so as to make short work of it. That's the chief thing."

"You must not!" she cried. "The meat must be well bled, and to do that he must die slow. We shall lose a shilling a score if the meat is red and bloody! Just touch the vein, that's all. I was brought up to it, and I know. Every good butcher keeps un bleeding long. He ought to be eight or ten minutes dying, at least."

"He shall not be half a minute if I can help it, however the meat may look," said Jude determinedly. Scraping the bristles from the pig's upturned throat, as he had seen the butchers do, he slit the fat; then plunged in the knife with all his might.

"'Od damn it all!" she cried, "that ever I should say it! You've over-stuck un! And I telling you all the time----"

"Do be quiet, Arabella, and have a little pity on the creature!"

"Hold up the pail to catch the blood, and don't talk!"

However unworkmanlike the deed, it had been mercifully done. The blood flowed out in a torrent instead of in the trickling stream she had desired. The dying animal's cry assumed its third and final tone, the shriek of agony; his glazing eyes riveting themselves on Arabella with the eloquently keen reproach of a creature recognizing at last the treachery of those who had seemed his only friends.

"Make un stop that!" said Arabella. "Such a noise will bring somebody or other up here, and I don't want people to know we are doing it ourselves." Picking up the knife from the ground whereon Jude had flung it, she slipped it into the gash, and slit the windpipe. The pig was instantly silent, his dying breath coming through the hole

"That's better," she said.

"It is a hateful business!" said he.

"Pigs must be killed."

The animal heaved in a final convulsion, and, despite the rope, kicked out with all his last strength. A tablespoonful of black clot came forth, the trickling of red blood having ceased for some seconds.

"That's it; now he'll go," said she. "Artful creatures-- they always keep back a drop like that as long as they can!"

The last plunge had come so unexpectedly as to make Jude stagger, and in recovering himself he kicked over the vessel in which the blood had been caught.

"There!" she cried, thoroughly in a passion. "Now I can't make any blackpot. There's a waste, all through you!"

Jude put the pail upright, but only about a third of the whole steaming liquid was left in it, the main part being splashed over the snow, and forming a dismal, sordid, ugly spectacle-- to those who saw it as other than an ordinary obtaining of meat. The lips and nostrils of the animal turned livid, then white, and the muscles of his limbs relaxed.

"Thank God!" Jude said. "He's dead."

"What's God got to do with such a messy job as a pig-killing, I should like to know!" she said scornfully. "Poor folks must live."

"I know, I know," said he. "I don't scold you."

Suddenly they became aware of a voice at hand.

"Well done, young married volk! I couldn't have carried it out much better myself, cuss me if I could!" The voice, which was husky, came from the garden-gate, and looking up from the scene of slaughter they saw the burly form of Mr. Challow leaning over the gate, critically surveying their performance.

"'Tis well for 'ee to stand there and glane!" said Arabella. "Owing to your being late the meat is blooded and half spoiled! 'Twon't fetch so much by a shilling a score!"

Challow expressed his contrition. "You should have waited a bit" he said, shaking his head, "and not have done this-- in the delicate state, too, that you be in at present, ma'am. 'Tis risking yourself too much."

"You needn't be concerned about that," said Arabella, laughing. Jude too laughed, but there was a strong flavour of bitterness in his amusement.

 

[ElectricNaz]

Those who moan about Halal meat, I wonder if you;re so outspoken or if you care about buying battery farmed chicken. Assuming you'll happily eat battery farmed chicken that has led a cramped life covered in crap as long as it's been 'killed humanely'....

 

[GreersElbow]

What's the difference between halal and normal meat apart from the prayer?

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Major supermarkets, including M&S and Tesco, admit to selling Halal meat and not labeling it as such.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27322350

I would rather know that my dinner was slaughtered in something approaching a humane manner. What is, and isn't humane is open to discussion, but Halal meat should be labelled correctly in my opinion.

The life a chicken leads in order for the poor creature to be affordable makes any kind of death a happy release,if you realy want to stop cruelty to chickens stop eating them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpbtBgLfl90

 

[BadFish]

It is nice to know so many people are concerned about the humane treatment of animals. I am guessing that because of this the sales of free range meats are going to increase and intensive farming practices will be a little closer to being phased out. This makes me very happy.

Unless of course all this hullabaloo is just another opportunity for people to have a go at Muslims.

 

[Nibble]

What's the difference between halal and normal meat apart from the prayer?

Usually nowt but the Halal slaughter industry is exempt from compulsory stunning of the animal before execution. I don't really mind the welfare issue although I'd prefer animals to suffer as little as possible for my tea but what the real issue here is that:


A group of people are EXEMPT from a LAW on grounds of RELIGION.

That to me is an absolute travesty. I don't care how often they stun or don't stun them or what religion it is, Buddhist, Quakers, Christians, Muslims or Jedi's. no way on earth should they be exempt from a law on a religious grounding. It's a ****ing travesty.

 

[nicko31]

What's worse a Halal chicken or a three quid one from Tesco's?

 

[Perfidious Albion]

A couple of more informed , and less biased newspaper reports here ..


Finacial Times May 8 2014


The British meat industry and religious leaders have expressed surprise at a wave of
criticism of halal slaughter, pointing out that there is no technical difference between
mainstream methods of killing animals and those used in most halal meat....

and

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/09/halal-outrage-concern-animal-welfare-muslim-ritual-slaughter

 

[symyjym]

A couple of more informed , and less biased newspaper reports here ..


Finacial Times May 8 2014


The British meat industry and religious leaders have expressed surprise at a wave of
criticism of halal slaughter, pointing out that there is no technical difference between
mainstream methods of killing animals and those used in most halal meat....

and

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/09/halal-outrage-concern-animal-welfare-muslim-ritual-slaughter

Thanks, I was always under the impression that Halal didn't allow for the animals to be stunned first.

 

[dougdeep]

What's the difference between halal and normal meat apart from the prayer?

50 pence a pound.

 

[Goldstone76]

What a non story.. This is about religion. So an animals life is so wonderful until its moment of death? "Halal killing is inhumane" say British newspapers...[cue outrage].
Meanwhile, the British Royal Family are out there shooting animals for fun.... [cue media silence]. In fact the New Zealand lamb industry is 95 per cent halal. Is there the outrage about Kosher preparation of meat? I think not.. I would rather eat Kosher or Halal than the other options..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152011876267352&set=vb.528377351&type=2&theater

 

[Soulman]

Some people eat meat, some don't, the choice is theirs.
I suspect the people that insist on Halal meat, eat only that.
Eggs are clearly marked if they are free range, so the choice is there. Halal meat should be clearly marked, then there are no issues.
Like NZ lamb is Halal and recent establishments are serving Halal, i have a choice and do not use these establishments or this product.

 

[Nibble]

Stick to Kobi beef.

 

[GreersElbow]

What a non story.. This is about religion. So an animals life is so wonderful until its moment of death? "Halal killing is inhumane" say British newspapers...[cue outrage].
Meanwhile, the British Royal Family are out there shooting animals for fun.... [cue media silence]. In fact the New Zealand lamb industry is 95 per cent halal. Is there the outrage about Kosher preparation of meat? I think not.. I would rather eat Kosher or Halal than the other options..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152011876267352&set=vb.528377351&type=2&theater

I take issue with "for fun". Since the royals own estates, they also own the wildlife on those estates. For the sake of land and game management, hunting is entirely necessary.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

For the sake of ... game management, hunting is entirely necessary.

Eh?

This means nothing more than: "I breed lots of pheasants. If I didn't shoot them, there would be too many of them".

Yep, it's "entirely necessary", because you are breeding too many pheasants.

 

[beorhthelm]

What a non story.. This is about religion.

well really its about prejudice.

 

[m20gull]

Some people eat meat, some don't, the choice is theirs.
I suspect the people that insist on Halal meat, eat only that.
Eggs are clearly marked if they are free range, so the choice is there. Halal meat should be clearly marked, then there are no issues.
Like NZ lamb is Halal and recent establishments are serving Halal, i have a choice and do not use these establishments or this product.

It's not whether it is Halal or Kosher that should be the label. All you need is a label saying "Slaughtered under the religious exemption - halal". Then those who think every one should obey the same laws, or believe that pre-stunning is a compassionate path to slaughter could make the choice. Maybe like cigarettes the packaging could show an animal painfully writhing around while someone praises God.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It's not whether it is Halal or Kosher that should be the label. All you need is a label saying "Slaughtered under the religious exemption - halal". Then those who think every one should obey the same laws, or believe that pre-stunning is a compassionate path to slaughter could make the choice. Maybe like cigarettes the packaging could show an animal painfully writhing around while someone praises God.

Or the label could just say "from New Zealand". And people could work out that New Zealand makes its own laws and any UK/EU "exemptions" don't mean anything.

 

[GreersElbow]

Eh?

This means nothing more than: "I breed lots of pheasants. If I didn't shoot them, there would be too many of them".

Yep, it's "entirely necessary", because you are breeding too many pheasants.

They breed them? I thought pheasants and other animals were horny little buggers and they're acting on instinct rather than a posh royal going "Go on ol' chap, go and get some pheasant fanny".