Jewish Greens statement on Jonathan Bartley’s comments on halal meat
Jewish Greens were very concerned to hear of Jonathan Bartley’s recent comments regarding the banning of Halal meat. Given the similarities in the ritual practice surrounding Halal and Kosher slaughter, we presume a call to ban Halal meat is also a call to ban Kosher meat. This is deeply worrying for our community and we stand with Greens of Colour in rejecting restrictions on religious slaughter. We join with them in asking the Green Party to issue an official apology and retraction. At this time of heightened tension for both Jewish and Muslim communites this cannot be delayed.
Any call to restrict Kosher or Halal slaughter runs counter to Green Party values and policy, with our manifesto stating that we will: ‘Defend the right of people of all faiths – to express their faith, be that in religious clothing, food or reasonable accommodation of religious observance’. Opposition to Halal or Kosher slaughter overlaps with the common far-right narrative that Jews or Muslims are especially cruel to animals, something that we hope that Jonathan Bartley would reject.
We have noted Jonathan Bartley’s apology and clarification, but are concerned that he justifies his opposition to Halal slaughter as a ‘personal view’. While we respect that there are many different views regarding the ethics of meat eating, we do not believe that scapegoating ethnic minority meat eating practices is an acceptable way to raise these questions.
As our friends from Greens of Colour state:
The environmental crisis will not be resolved by banning faith groups from religious practices. In order to achieve climate justice, marginalised groups must be at the heart of decision-making rather than being blamed and ostracised.
We stand with them in rejecting the politics of islamophobia in favour of the Green Party’s policies of a socially and environmentally just future for all.
Header image credit – BBC Screengrab
It’s mind-boggling that so many of you have missed the point: We are against all (!) animal cruelty and find that picking out only minority groups’ animal cruelty is inherently racist. Think bigger, people. Slaughtering animals is cruel, regardless whether it’s by being shot in the head with a bolt or having the jugular veins cut.
I agree with all the above regarding the slaughter of animals. It is truly barbaric to kill an animal for religious purposes in a way that leaves it to bleed to death in pain and unable to help itself in any way. I do not understand the need to carry on with such practices in the 21st Century by supposedly enlightened people. This way of killing animals was started so very long ago so maybe both Muslims and Jewish people need to take a long hard look at why they continue to do it. Is the ritual so important that animals need to continue to suffer into perpetuity. I am not anti any religion just anti animal suffering for the sake of outdated human practices.
“..we do not believe that scapegoating ethnic minority meat eating practices is an acceptable way to raise these questions.”.
It’s equally valid to state that a party that as a whole finds unnecessary animal cruelty to be unacceptable & generally is vociferous in campaigning against it should not be held to ransom or called to account by a tiny minority . Such a stance is ridiculous and self-defeating . It opens up the Party to all sorts of belief systems / religions imposing ideologies that are directly opposed to the core concerns of the Party and is anti-democratic and separatist . I would suggest that such ( to me& many others) barbaric , unscientific practices should be held personally and ‘left at the door’ when one enters the Green Party . To have the gall to suppose that opposition to animal cruelty is anti-Islam/ Jewish is pure nonsense – it is one issue that runs counter to Green sensibilities and should be respected by those with contrary sensibilities . The Green Party does not wish to alter Islam/Jewish belief systems – that would be tyrannical & stupid. Why , though , does the reverse not apply ? Why in God’s name would the Islam/Jewish community wish to impose their belief system upon a community of people ( the Green Party ) that find one part of it abhorrent to their own belief system ? I suggest that Jewish greens think very carefully about what they are asking for here . Do you really want an entire community ( the Green Party membership ) to endorse ( tacitly or under duress) something they find abhorrent ? Or do you , rather , prefer to accept that your minority viewpoint might be better kept to yourselves while the rest of us get on with saving the planet and ALL its inhabitants ? Save our home world or bicker about religious dogma ? Get along with the rest of us or bully the rest of us into accepting your point of view ? There are many religions that disagree with your dogma. There are even more humans that disagree with your dogma . Is your dogma more important than the survival of humanity ? Answer me that .
We were not bullying, we are not cruel, we are not barbaric, we are not anti-democtatic, we are not separatist. we are not holding anyone to ransom. You have a lot of questions. I was hurt by the BBC remarks as were Greens of Colour, whom we followed in releasing a response. I’m disappointed that you think minority rights are anti democtatic, I’m disappointed in the comments on this article. they do not represent green party policy as passed by Conference, which was careful. it was not dogma, it was an accredited policy motion. It’s my role to call it out. As for the secularist commenting below, please show some tolerance. It’s not dogma to defend Jewish and Muslims way of life.
The debate should focus on animal welfare and the reform of slaughter methods. There is a joint call to end non-stun slaughter. “… The RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association have joined forces to call on the UK Government to repeal a legal exemption that permits animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning, causing unnecessary pain and suffering.” 6 Feb 2019. The use of CO2 gas used in the slaughter of pigs is also a great cause for concern.
Good point . It seems opposed to Green concerns about animal welfare , let alone modern scientific fact , to allow barbaric cruelty on the grounds of ancient dogma.
As a secularist it has always baffled me why certain religions claim that their faith justifies doing harm to others – human or non human.
Not only that but surely opposed to Green policy / principles . In a democratic party surely such unscientific dogma should be dismissed without any great fuss .