Belgium: Showing concerns about animal welfare, reportedly Belgium has banned halal and kosher animal slaughtering practices. Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts proposed the ban, which came into effect on January 1.
However, Muslims and Jews have protested the ban saying the move violates freedom of religion for the Muslim and Jewish population in Belgium. Muslims and Jews are 500,000 and 30,000 respectively, out of a population of 11 million. Muslim halal and Jewish kosher laws maintain that animals cannot be stunned before killing them by cutting the throat and leaving the blood to drain from their bodies. This method they claim is more humane since the animals die faster resulting in less suffering.
In Europe before killing them, animals are made insensible to pain before being killed. While the larger animals are subject to a captive bolt device, whereby a metal rod is fired into the brain, chickens and other birds are often electrically shocked. Some animals are made unconscious with gas as well.