PVV divided, VVD says yes to ritual slaughter ban

The anti-Islam PVV is divided over what action to take on Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday.


A majority of MPs support moves to ban the ritual slaughter of animals which have not been stunned, saying it causes unnecessary pain.
The paper says the measure will largely affect the Jewish community, because 80% of halal butchers do stun animals before killing them.
Sensitive
The issue is very sensitive in the Netherlands, because one of the first anti-Jewish measures taken when the country was occupied during World War II was a ban on ritual slaughter, the paper states.
‘That is why I really cannot support the proposal,’ one PVV MP told the paper.
However, PVV MP Dion Graus, said freedom of religion should not lead to animal abuse or discrimination against women. ‘That is why the PVV wants a total ban on ritual slaughter and a ban on the import of meat which has been ritually slaughtered,’ he said.

VVD

The Volkskrant reported on Wednesday evening that the ruling VVD Liberal party has also thrown its weight behind the ban, meaning the measure would have a large majority in parliament.
Ronnie Eisenmann, chairman of the Amsterdam Jewish community, said Jews would go to court if the law comes into force. ‘We will definitely take action to see if the ban conflicts with the Dutch constitution and European human rights law,’ he told the paper.

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