Denmark accused of anti-Semitism as it bans religious slaughter of animals for kosher and halal meat

After years of campaigning in Denmark, the ban came in to law yesterday

The move has been described as 'a clear interference in religious freedom'

Law change comes a week after the slaughter of a young giraffe, Marius, in Copenhagen Zoo was condemned on an international scale



The Danish government has passed a law banning the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat

The government in Denmark has been accused of anti-Semitism after passing a law banning the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat.



After years of campaigning in the Scandinavian country, the ban came in to law yesterday.



The change has been described as ‘anti-Semitic and ‘a clear interference in religious freedom’ by a group petitioning against the change.

Under European regulations, animals are required to be stunned before slaughter unless an exemption can be found on religious grounds.



And animals must be conscious when killed for the resultant meat to be kosher under Jewish law and halal under Islamic law.

But, following criticism, the country's Minister for Food, Dan Jorgensen, told Denmark's TV2 that 'animal rights come before religion'.



Campaign group Danish Halal has collected more than 13,000 signatures opposing the law change and plans to present them to Mr Jorgensen this week.



The group said: ‘The new order is a clear interference in religious freedom and limits the Muslims and the Jews' right to practise their religion in Denmark.

‘It is a procedure that is done under the guise of animal welfare, despite the fact that many scientific studies show that the animal suffers less when properly performed ritual slaughter than when it gets a blow to the head with a nail gun.’

The law change has also drawn criticism because it has been implemented in the same country that a giraffe was brutally slaughtered last week in front of an audience.

Marius, a perfectly healthy animal, was shot, dissected in front of a crowd which included children, and fed to lions last week at Copenhagen Zoo.

The law change comes shortly after Marius (the smaller giraffe) was slaughtered at Copenhagen Zoo

Despite more than 20,000 people signing an online petition to save two-year-old Marius, staff at Copenhagen Zoo went ahead and shot the animal with a bolt pistol.

Young children stood at arm’s length as his carcass was skinned and dissected before the meat was thrown to the lions.

