Kosher Slaughter and the Dignity of All Creatures

On December 17, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld Belgium's ban on ritual slaughter (shechita or Jews and dhabihah for Muslims). In the name of animal rights, Belgium had required that animals be rendered unconscious prior to slaughter - a practice that runs counter to Jewish and Muslim law. Belgium's ban reflects a deficient understanding of religious tolerance. But it also reflects an overly narrow conception of what we owe to animals. The same Jewish law that has been deemed inhumane by the European Union does far more to prevent animal cruelty than Belgium’s law.