European Jews seek help in anti-shechita law

Culture • April 2011 • Views: 1,323

The Dutch parliament is set to debate a bill prohibiting the slaughter of animals in the Netherlands that have not been stunned.

The European Parliament is set to debate a number of new amendments to the EU’s draft Food Information Regulation next week, which will consider the labeling of all meat slaughtered using the Jewish or Muslim methods. Such a labeling is feared to bear devastating effects on the kosher meat industry.

This doesn’t exactly make sense, since all Kosher foods, and probably Halal foods should already be labeled as such. That’s how we know that they are Kosher. However, many such debates over religious ritual and culture are designed to make the lives of those belonging to that culture much more difficult.

The trend is not going to reverse. Time to go.

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12 comments

CuriousLurker Mon, Apr 4, 2011 2:19:41pm

From the article:

The Dutch bill, put forth by a pro-animal rights party and supported by Geert Wilders, who is not considered a force hostile to the local Jewish community, would also put order in the widely unregulated halal practice in the country.

Yet. Give him time.

Bob Levin Mon, Apr 4, 2011 2:32:17pm

re: #1 CuriousLurker

Yeah, he’s a strange bird. Someone posted a BBC documentary about him a whiles back, and I objected to the BBCing of Wilders as some type of secret Israeli agent.

But if you factor that out, he’s very closed off, doesn’t let anyone in—which allows people to project their feelings on to him. In that way, he’s a walking public opinion poll, as opposed to a leader. He’s tall enough, but didn’t appear strong enough.

Still, if you live in Europe, are not blond and blue-eyed, it’s time to think about your future.

SanFranciscoZionist Mon, Apr 4, 2011 3:09:42pm

No one should have been surprised by this. When they started going after halal foods, using the same scare tactics used against kosher foods for years, it was pretty much clear which way the wind was going to blow.

Next everyone will have to eat a ham sandwich in front of witnesses to keep their citizenship or some damn thing.

This Jew never did fall for all of this ‘but we have to save our CULLLLL-TUUUURRRE from the scary brown people’ crap. I’ve been the scary brown people too many times.

Bob Levin Mon, Apr 4, 2011 3:35:51pm

re: #3 SanFranciscoZionist

Next everyone will have to eat a ham sandwich in front of witnesses to keep their citizenship or some damn thing.

I’m not being argumentative, but I thought I’d bring up a few points. The Europeans know their history. Ensuing moves will probably be more subtle. Their game is appearing to stand for human rights while still holding on to ancient hatreds. It’s a tough problem, but they are very inventive.

This Jew never did fall for all of this ‘but we have to save our CULLL-TUUURRRE from the scary brown people’ crap.

That’s true. We’ve fallen for much worse. ;-)

lobengula Mon, Apr 4, 2011 6:14:02pm

This doesn’t exactly make sense, since all Kosher foods, and probably Halal foods should already be labeled as such.

Halal food isn’t. This was a big thing in the UK a few months ago when it was found out that Halal meat was being served (unbeknownst to consumers) in many schools and hospitals, and sold in all major supermarkets without being labelled as such. Given the option, most Britons would not eat meat slaughtered in this manner and the tabloid media seized the opportunity to malign all religiously slaughtered meat as part of some covert sharia-takeover.
Sharia conspiracies aren’t the preserve of americans

Bob Levin Mon, Apr 4, 2011 7:01:03pm

re: #5 lobengula

That’s too bad. I buy cheese that has both a kosher symbol, and a halal symbol. But I’ve had discussions with Muslims just learning the gig about the kosher symbols they have to memorize.

I’ve heard that years ago, all Eastern US meat was slaughtered in kosher slaughterhouses and the rear cuts would be sold at regular markets and restaurants. I don’t know if that is true.

Opening a slaughterhouse isn’t in the Vanderbilt playbook. Someone’s got to do it.

CuriousLurker Mon, Apr 4, 2011 7:25:57pm

re: #2 Bob Levin

Yeah, he’s a strange bird. Someone posted a BBC documentary about him a whiles back, and I objected to the BBCing of Wilders as some type of secret Israeli agent.

But if you factor that out, he’s very closed off, doesn’t let anyone in—which allows people to project their feelings on to him. In that way, he’s a walking public opinion poll, as opposed to a leader. He’s tall enough, but didn’t appear strong enough.

Still, if you live in Europe, are not blond and blue-eyed, it’s time to think about your future.

Yes, I recall reading some of the comments in that thread about the BBC piece. they were getting pretty heated and I didn’t have time to watch the program, so I stayed out of it. I’m glad you reminded me about it.

He’s a nasty piece of work as far as I’m concerned, though I admit I haven’t read a whole lot about him apart from what I’ve seen here and in some other articles. He wrote a vile article after the attacks last week called “Time To Unmask Muhammad”.

He seems to be trying to seize the opportunity to to ratchet up the hate a few more notches (maybe even exponentially), and the far right here in the U.S. is following his lead. You can see the progression if you google it and then filter the articles by “past week”, “past 3 days’, “past 24 hours”, etc. That’s not to imply that you’d actually want to waste time reading it, I’m just pointing out that the trend is there to see.

Still, if you live in Europe, are not blond and blue-eyed, it’s time to think about your future.

Quoted for truth.

eightyfiv Mon, Apr 4, 2011 7:48:26pm

Possibly the issue with labling is that, in addition to hindquarters, kosher slaughtering produces a significant number of animals that don’t pass muster during subsequent ritual inspection (e.g. there are lesions on the lungs) but can still be sold to the non-kosher market. Labeling requirements would render this meat effectively second-class and very difficult to sell.

“Modern sensibilities” strike again.

Bob Levin Tue, Apr 5, 2011 2:58:21am

re: #7 CuriousLurker

I understand. I see the BBC as the folks who can really ratchet up the hate. They are very good at it, and it happens under most people’s radar.

The striking thing about Wilders is that they spoke to all of these people who knew him—and no one knew him.

Let’s take out the broad brush for just a second. And let’s say that history is a part of psychology, or part of the soul. Europe is a vicious place wearing the mask of the highest civility. Mark Twain was writing about Austrian antisemitism in the 1890s. They made fortunes through theft and slavery. They were barbaric to the natives of their colonies. And they know it. The worse thing you can do is ask a European what their grandparents, or great grandparents did in their lives. Generally, there is trouble.

Where I’m going with this is that Wilders doesn’t have to do very much to get those old feelings to bubble up. And for that matter, neither does the BBC.

I don’t know of a strata in European society that corresponds to the American middle class, the unaffiliated voters. My sense is that this particular group of Americans fled other countries. This part of America is what keeps the extreme groups in our society from becoming mainstream. Right now, the extremists in the US are making noise. They can’t beat the middle class. I don’t think Europe has that buffer.

Now, because I used a broad brush, I could be completely wrong. So this is just my impression, and would be subject to change with a few things… like facts.

CuriousLurker Tue, Apr 5, 2011 6:14:34pm

re: #9 Bob Levin

I understand. I see the BBC as the folks who can really ratchet up the hate. They are very good at it, and it happens under most people’s radar.

The striking thing about Wilders is that they spoke to all of these people who knew him—and no one knew him.

I’m going to have to go find those videos and see what they said.

Let’s take out the broad brush for just a second. And let’s say that history is a part of psychology, or part of the soul. Europe is a vicious place wearing the mask of the highest civility. Mark Twain was writing about Austrian antisemitism in the 1890s. They made fortunes through theft and slavery. They were barbaric to the natives of their colonies. And they know it. The worse thing you can do is ask a European what their grandparents, or great grandparents did in their lives. Generally, there is trouble.

Where I’m going with this is that Wilders doesn’t have to do very much to get those old feelings to bubble up. And for that matter, neither does the BBC.

I don’t know of a strata in European society that corresponds to the American middle class, the unaffiliated voters. My sense is that this particular group of Americans fled other countries. This part of America is what keeps the extreme groups in our society from becoming mainstream. Right now, the extremists in the US are making noise. They can’t beat the middle class. I don’t think Europe has that buffer.

Now, because I used a broad brush, I could be completely wrong. So this is just my impression, and would be subject to change with a few things… like facts.

Interesting. I don’t know much about European society, but I’ve always understood that it was much different than our (naturally). Definitely something to ponder and maybe look into a little more in-depth.

Bob Levin Tue, Apr 5, 2011 6:50:27pm

re: #10 CuriousLurker

I’m still using the broad brush, but—America is essentially populated by people who escaped Europe. Basically, my grandparents were busy escaping your (abstract European individual) grandparents. And they (abstract European) enjoyed chasing these people to another country.

Some of these immigrants moved to the very top of American society—in terms of wealth. But most became the middle class, and have a very deep seated distrust of certain types of rhetoric. You will note that the Pat Buchanans have this thing about real Americans, how they are becoming fewer in number. Well, that’s a good thing. It’s nice to have a large population descended from people who escaped from somewhere else.

Despite what the Tea Party believes, most candidates only won by one or two percentage points.

If you put Wilders in America, he’s your next door neighbor whose name you keep forgetting. But in Europe, he stirs those old passions.

CuriousLurker Tue, Apr 5, 2011 7:21:37pm

re: #11 Bob Levin

Great explanation, thanks.

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