Ban by French government on halal slaughter of chicken is false
The ministry did publish a note regarding poultry slaughter on November 23, 2020, but it said the document aimed to provide detail on how various slaughter methods, including halal, are to take place in France.
March 25, 2021 / 11:16 AM IST
Muslim leaders criticised the France government’s decision to ban the slaughter of poultry animals in line with Islamic principles ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The reactions came following reports of such ban. However, the reports are false as the Ministry of Agriculture has said there is no ban.
On March 20, some online articles claimed that France will ban the halal slaughter of chicken and the decision was widely criticed by several Muslim leaders. The claims appeared to come from a press release from Paris Mosque director Chemseddine Hafez, Lyon Mosque director Kamel Kaptane and Evry Mosque director Khalil Maroun.
The release stated that “starting in July 2021, the Halal ritual slaughter of poultry in France will no longer be authorized,” reported AFP.
The document further said that the feared ban is the result of a technical note from the Ministry of Agriculture in France, which oversees poultry slaughter in France.
According to the AFP fact check report, the ministry did publish a note regarding poultry slaughter on November 23, 2020 but it said the document aimed to provide detail on how various slaughter methods, including halal, are to take place in France.
“This directive details different poultry slaughter practices within slaughterhouses and outlines methods for official control in respect of” EU legislation, the document’s summary reads.
Halal is the Islamic form of slaughtering animals, which involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe.
Some animal rights activists in Europe argue that the Islamic halal and Jewish kosher rules for ritual slaughter are “less humane” than standard European practice because they ban the practice of stunning animals before they are killed, said the report. However, there is also some disagreement over which form of slaughter causes the animal more pain, with some arguing that a stun gun can be more painful than an expertly applied cut to the animal’s neck, it said.
Disclaimer: The copy has been updated later to reflect the French ministry of Agriculture's denial.
