Swiss to vote on whether to ban halal and kosher

Published on: August 22, 2017

Piece of legislation was introduced in June and politicians are set to vote on it
It would include a ban on imports of both halal and kosher meats from abroad
Religious slaughter of animals is illegal in Switzerland and has been since 1893

By Gareth Davies For Mailonline

Published: 15:17 BST, 22 August 2017 | Updated: 16:33 BST, 22 August 2017

The Swiss Parliament is to vote on whether to ban the import of kosher and halal meat in the country amid criticism from Jewish leaders.

The piece of legislation was introduced in June and would make it illegal to bring any meat into the country which was slaughtered in a manner deemed to be inhumane if agreed.

It would include both halal and kosher meat because the animal is conscious when they are slaughtered.

Undated handout photo issued by Animal Aid of a screen grab taken from spy-cam footage of a halal slaughterhouse, where sheep have their throats cut without being stunned, which has led to action by the Food Standards Agency

A client of a super market Carrefour chose to halal meat in a rack, Hazebrouck in France

A client of a super market Carrefour chose to halal meat in a rack, Hazebrouck in France

Herbert Winter, president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, told the Jewish Chronicle the bill would ‘be a massive limitation on the religious freedoms of Jews’ in Switzerland.

The organisation also branded the move an antisemitic act.

Last year, the population of Switzerland was 8.37million, of which 17,500 were Jewish and around 450,000 Muslims.

The act of religious slaughter in the neutral country has been banned since 1893, but at the moment the import of such products is legal despite a number of attempts to block it.

Despite the religious element to the vote, with Muslims eating halal and Jews eating kosher meats, the main point of contention appears to be the effect it would have on Swiss cuisine.

According to the Tages Anzeiger newspaper, the strongest opposition to the bill has come from those against it effectively banning foie gras and goose liver pâté, which is popular in Switzerland.

No date has been set for the vote.