How EU ritual slaughter ruling targets religious minorities

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that authorities can ban the practice of ritual slaughter to promote animal welfare, without defying the rights of religious groups.

The court backed a regulation imposed in the Flemish region of Belgium banning the slaughter of livestock that have not been stunned on animal rights grounds.

The measure was seen as effectively outlawing the Muslim halal and Jewish kosher traditions, which require livestock to be conscious when their throats are slit.

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However, experts believe that the decision has more to do with Europe's crackdown on religious minorities rather thanpromotinganimal welfare.

According to thePew Research Center,Christians make for 74.5 per centof Europe's population. While 18.8per centare not affiliated with any religion. But Muslims and Jews comprise only5.9per centand0.2per centof its population.

It appears that European lawsare laws clashing with culture and faith.

France, which is battling radicalism, has Europe's largest muslim population and also has a problem with the community'spractices and customs.

France became the first European country to ban burqas in public spaces in 2010. It alsooutlawed all kinds of full-face coverings, all religious symbols in public, including the cross.

In 2018, the UN Human Rights Committee called the move a violation of human rights. However, by then France also banned the burkini andfined women for wearing full-body swimwear.

In 2016, a photo of male officers forcing a woman to remove her burkini- went viral. Similarly, in 2019, two swimming pools were shut down during peak summer because women wearing burkinis swam in those pools.

France said the reason behind such drastic decisions was to curb terrorism. However, the country appeased the Muslim community for votes and failed to keep a check on terrorist organistions.

And to hid its shortcomings, it started imposing random bans instead of striking at the root of the problem. The country realised it quite late.

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In 2011, Belgium banned full-face veils and Dutch MPsbacked a ban on the burqa in public spaces in 2016.

Several towns in Italy have burqa bans In Denmark, women can be fined over 100 euros for wearing a full-face veil

This is the same Europe that takes pride in preaching secularism,which means separating the state from religious institutions.

Pork is prohibited in Islam. But many French schools have scrapped pork-free options from school canteens due to whicha Muslim child gets two options in the country either to eat it or remain hungry.

Jewish culture has not been spared either. Some lawmakers in Denmark wanted to ban circumcision under whichJews circumcise baby boys on their eighth day in aritual called brit milah.

Denmark wanted to ban it but it was unable to do so.But now, Europe has posed a bigger challenge to its religious minorities.

The continent's top court has made provisions for the ban of halal and kosher meat.

This practically means, very soon Jews and Muslims will be left with two choices- just like french schoolkids- eat haram or nothing.

The decision cannot be called humane as slaughter cannot be humane no matter how it is justified.

Europe currently stands at a crossroads. Initially,itput itself on a pedestal as the ideal multicultural, modern, secular society but graduallystarted preaching to the world on how to treat minorities.

Although European governments gave shelter to immigrants but did not make them a part of the mainstream and nowthe divide is deepening.

Europe's confusion and xenophobia are showing in its laws and every time it's called out, it hides behind the radicalisation argument.