Blog - Sunday, June 5, 2011 14:31 - 0 Comments

A Bloody Business

In the 1999 movie adaptation of Stephen King’s book The Green Mile, Eduard “Del” Delacroix’s was executed in a slow painful way by the sadistic guard Percy Wetmore.

The scene is horrific and jolting as our mammalian brains empathize with the suffering prisoner. While we know Eduard has been sentenced to death for his crimes we revolt at the ugly display of unnecessary suffering.  We simultaneously recognize the requirement for his death and desire for the process to be as quick and painless as possible.  However, the ends do not justify the means.

In late May of 2011, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s journalistic powerhouse “4 Corners” aired “A bloody business”.  The piece uncovered the brutal treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesian Halal slaughter houses.

In one example, an animal slipped in the blood and faeces on the floor of the slaughter house, breaking his rear leg.  Unable to move, the butchers beat the animal, broke his tail, gouged is eyes, and poured water down his nose.  After half an hour trying to get the animal into the proper slaughter position (we were told the animals must face Mecca while being slaughtered), they abandoned their efforts and slit the animals throat where he stood.

In another notable example an animal was allowed to witness 4 or 5 others having their throats slit and slowly bleeding to death before being dismembered.  This animal is clearly distressed as can clearly be seen shaking uncontrollably as his turn nears closer. Any doubts I may have had about cattle’s ability to empathise evaporated at this point.

Islamic law, or Sharia, specifies the methodology which must be employed for food to be considered “legal” or “permissible”– this is referred to as Halal.  According to Muslims who follow the practice, the accepted method of slaughter consists of using a well sharpened knife to make a swift, deep incision that cut the front of the throat, the carotid artery, wind pipe and jugular veins but leaves the spinal cord intact.

According to a 2003 report by the British Farm Animal Welfare Council, such methods resulted in cattle suffering for up to two minutes before bleeding to death, and immediately called for the practice to be banned.  The Chairperson of British Farm Animal Welfare Council at the time, Judy MacArthur Clark, said “this is a major incision into the animal and to say that it doesn’t suffer is quite ridiculous.”

In numerous recorded instances uncovered during  4 Corners investigation it took the animals around 8 minutes to succumb to death.  In addition, the average number of slices to the throat was 8, with some animals being subjected to up to 30 incisions.  In one horrific example, an animal whose throat had been severed scrambled to his feet and attempted to flee.  Clearly the methods employed in these Indonesian slaughter houses do not meet even the best practices within the restrictions of Halal.  The situation is much worse if we place Halal aside and compare the practices with world’s best slaughter methods.

The Australian people reacted swiftly and decisively.  Immediately online campaigns and petitions to cease this barbaric practice were launched, the most notable of which was Getup’s campaign which solicited over 100,000 signatures calling for the ban on the live export trade in less than 24 hours.

The reaction from our politicians was almost as swift and completely underwhelming. Parliament immediately suspended business with all 11 Halal slaughter houses implicated in the ABC report.  Once again, the general population and our politicians seem to have missed the underlying issues.

The problem here is not the live trade export industry in and of itself.  As far as we can tell, Australian cattle are treated exceptionally well while boarding the transport ships, while in transport, and at the holding facilities in Indonesia.  Furthermore, the Islamic practice of Halal slaughter does not call for the sicking beatings, torture, and unnecessary suffering many of these animals are subjected to.  Indeed many slaughter houses in Indonesia and elsewhere probably perform Halal to the best of their ability.  However, when these medieval practices are compared with modern slaughter techniques they are far from optimal.

All commercial Australian slaughter houses have long used a bolt system which kills the animal instantly.  While many are still repulsed by the practice (myself included), if we are to eat meat this is the only method animals should be subjected – either within our borders, or to our livestock in other lands.

As traumatising as it was, the 4 Corners report focused on the brutal treatment of Australian cattle at the hands of overseas butchers – they shied away from tackling Halal methods themselves.

While the ABC may turn their attention to other issues if and when the gruesome mistreatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia is properly addressed, there are some of us who will still consider the needless suffering of conscious animals wholly unnecessary.

The practice of Halal slaughter causes unnecessary suffering even when it is executed in the best possible manner.  Alternative methods of slaughter are available which do not inflict as much suffering on the animals concerned.  The Australian people should demand nothing less that the reduction of unnecessary suffering in every situation.

References

A Bloody Business

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20110530/cattle/