One of the topics that Lowe posts about most often is halal and kosher meat—both of which he wants to see banned.
To give you a bit of background: British law requires that farm animals be stunned (i.e., rendered unconscious) before they are slaughtered unless they are being killed in accordance with Muslim or Jewish religious rites, in which case the animal’s throat may be cut while it is still alive. Pro-secular and animal rights groups have long campaigned against this exemption but have not been successful.
The exemption is an obvious case of multiculturalism interfering with the rule of law. If a farmer kills an animal by cutting its throat, he can be fined or even jailed. But if he does the exact same thing while observing halal or kosher customs, he will not be punished. It would be like having a law that says you must not commit assault unless you say a prayer beforehand.
So far, so good. I agree with Lowe that we should ban ritual slaughter—just like Sweden, Denmark and several other countries have. But there’s a major flaw in his argument.
Describing non-stun killing as “un-British”, Lowe proclaims that “we treat our animals with care and respect.” This is completely false. The majority of animals raised for livestock in Britain are factory farmed and are therefore treated with immense cruelty. While Lowe may uphold high standards of welfare on his own farm, most industrial farmers do not....<<<Read More>>>...
