7 November 2011
Given the proposed ban on ritual sacrifice in the Netherlands, which has passed the lower house of parliament and is awaiting a vote by the senate on 13 December, this may be the last year it is possible for Muslims to buy sheep or lamb which has been ritually slaughtered in the country. The ban has received increased attention this week with celebration of Eid al-Adha, in which a sheep or lamb is ritually slaughtered. It is not yet clear whether the bill, sponsored by the Animal Rights Party, will pass. Muslim and Jewish organizations oppose the ban, arguing that it would put thousands of people out of work, make it more expensive to obtain halal and kosher meat, and potentially create an ‘underground’ practice of ritual slaughter.
