In a significant decision to prevent the inhuman slaughtering of animals, the Karnataka state government has asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) to make it mandatory for meat shops and abattoirs to stun the animals before slaughtering them.
The Animal Husbandry department has asked Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to enforce compulsory stunning of animals at slaughterhouses and meat shops in Bengaluru. The department has also asked the BBMP authorities to make sure stunning facilities are in place before giving licences to meat shops.
“We have received complaints from people about the stunning procedure not being followed at slaughterhouses and chicken stalls,” the department said.
It also sought a report on the action being taken by the Bengaluru municipal body.
The order from the BBMP comes amidst the ongoing debate over the Islamic traditions of ‘Halal’, which intensified last week after the Hindu activist group Hindu Janajagruti Samiti gave a call to boycott halal meat while launching a nationwide campaign demanding a ban on Halal products.
The Halal certification labels food products permissible to consume in Islam excluding pork-related edibles, animal fats and other dairy generated products and all types of alcohol.
Is stunning of animals before slaughter halal
Stunning is a process where various methods of shock are used to ‘stun’ the animal so that it becomes unconscious before slaughter and has a relatively painless death. However, as per some Islamic scholars, stunning animals before slaughter is ‘against the principles of Islam’ and an ‘evil innovation’. Many Islamic scholars urge Muslims to avoid stunning when slaughtering animal.
Further, the animal needs to be alive at the time of slaughter. If the method of stunning is irreversible, the chances are high that the animal stunned will die before being slaughtered. A practicing Muslim of sane mind will chant ‘Bismillah’ (in the name of Allah) before slaughtering. However, if the animal is already dead by stunning before slaughter, it would not be able to hear the phrase, which could render the meat non-halal.
However, Mohammed Zubair, cofounder of website AltNews, which often works as islamic propaganda website, has said that stunning the animal before slaughtering might still be halal compliant.
‘Stunning’ process violates Halal compliance?
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 2, 2022
No It Doesn't.
Condition: Animal should be alive during Stunning procedure. If the animal is found dead due to the stunning procedure, it's non halal slaughter. https://t.co/q88Ei5geWI
He claimed that stunning does not violate halal compliance as long as animal does not die before being slaughtered.
