Teacup in a storm - Ranier Fsadni
newsare.net
There are storms in teacups and then there are teacups in a storm. The social media furore over halal slaughter in Malta began as the former but threatens to morph into the latter. The fuss over a piece of non-news has swelled into an over-reaction featurinTeacup in a storm - Ranier Fsadni
There are storms in teacups and then there are teacups in a storm. The social media furore over halal slaughter in Malta began as the former but threatens to morph into the latter. The fuss over a piece of non-news has swelled into an over-reaction featuring public figures, where some of the already fragile values of our republic – like pluralism, consistency and informed, rational debate – are tumbling in the swirl of hot air. It all began earlier this week when an enterprising TVM journalist, Glen Falzon, interviewed Imam Mohammed al-Sadi about halal meat – that is, meat from animals slaughtered in conformity with Islamic requirements. The short answer is that, as with Jewish kosher meat, the live animal’s throat must be cut and most of the blood left to run out. Then Imam al-Sadi added something. Slaughter by cutting, carried out by a licensed Muslim (approved by the Imam), already takes place at the national abattoir. But it takes place according to the European directive that stipulates that animals must be stunned before the cut, a stipulation that both Jewish and Muslim authorities generally find objectionable. The same European law allows for exceptions to be made on... Read more