Switzerland

Swiss lawmakers consider banning kosher and halal meat imports

Kosher

Switzerland's parliament is set to vote on a bill that bans all imports of meat from ritual slaughter of animals, respectively kosher and halal meat.The motion was submitted in June by Matthias Aebischer, member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland.

Posted on Aug 22 ,17:00

 

If it passes, the proposed measure will also ban the popular foie gras or goose liver pâté, which are considered a delicacy by numerous Swiss consumers and are very popular in Switzerland. The bill spurred instant opposition not only from consumers of foodstuffs such as foie gras, but also from the Swiss Jewish Community, according to Tages Anzeiger newspaper.

Herbert Winter, president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, told Tages-Anzeiger that if the bill would pass it would "severely restrict the religious freedom of the Jews."

The Swiss authorities have not yet announced a date for voting on the measure.

In Switzerland, the Animal Welfare Act prohibits the slaughtering of animals without stunning since 1893, the prohibition also applying to ritual slaughtering.

There have been several attempts of banning the import of kosher and halal meat throughout the years, the latest being in 2016 when the Swiss Federal Council declared that the ban would contravene the international trade agreements that the country has signed.

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