On Countryfile at the weekend they did a piece about the practice of Jews and some Muslims of insisting that animals are slaughtered fully conscious and thus without any pre-stunning.

According to a Farm Animal Welfare Council (now Committee) (FAWC) report on the ‘Welfare of Farmed Animals at Slaughter or Killing’ June 2003 a large cut made across the neck of a conscious animal would “result in very significant pain and distress before the animal loses consciousness (around 5 to 7 seconds for sheep, 22 to 40 seconds for adult cattle)."

They needn't have bothered. Any debate is pointless as Dave has made a big point of guaranteeing to the [url=http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/116418/david-cameron-defends-shechita-and-blasts-boycott-knesset-speechKnesset in a long speech[/url that the practice will not be interfered with "on his watch".

I suspect no-one wants to do anything about it, because they will be accused of having beef / a bone to pick with Muslims and Jews.

Map the large areas of the Jewish community with that of parliamentary constituencies, be shocked no more...

Why not ban Halal but retain Kosher then!!?

Because the substantial majority of halal is pre-stunned, maybe?

As is the majority of kosher meat.

Meat is murder - eat fish

We aren't even bothering with FGM what do we care of the animals.

Quote ="Big Graeme"As is the majority of kosher meat.'" I have no idea about that and was simply going on the piece I watched. It did seem unequivocal and the definition I read of shechita (www.shechitauk.org/faq.html) insisted that there is no pre-stunning whatsoever allowed but if you are an expert in it then I'll take your word for it.

Quote ="Big Graeme"As is the majority of kosher meat.'" I have no idea about that and was simply going on the piece I watched. It did seem unequivocal and the definition I read of shechita (www.shechitauk.org/faq.html) insisted that there is no pre-stunning whatsoever allowed but if you are an expert in it then I'll take your word for it.

I thought that halal meat was taken from animals that were not stunned.

I listened to a long discussion on R4 about it and it seems there is a higher majority of Kosher meat that is not stunned than Halal which seemed to be fairly high.

The argument from a Jewish chap they had on was that chickens are killed by being dipped in electrocuted solution and non Jews and Muslims eat pigs, so there. Oh and you're being anti-Semitic.

If your religious beliefs say it's okay to maim babies by circumcision, what chance is it that these same religious beliefs are going to include painful ritual slaughter in the perpetration of food?

I'd say it would be fairly high.

They're all crackpots and shouldn't be given the time of day in any discussions concerning animal welfare.

As someone who was maimed as a baby by one of these religions i couldnt agree more.