British MPs and peers urge Finland not to ban religious non-stun slaughter

Parliamentarians at Westminster ask Helsinki for an amendment to the proposed Animal Welfare Bill that would allow religious practice

Peers and MPs have written to the Finnish ambassador to warn against a new proposal from Helsinki to effective outlaw religious slaughter.

The Animal Welfare Bill would outlaw all forms of slaughter that do not require the animal to be mechanically stunned first, but Jewish shechita [religious slaughter] advocates in the UK have said this risks the inclusivity of Europe.

It follows a presentation by pressure group Shechita UK to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The APPG’s chair Jim Shannon MP said: “The creeping intolerance of religious communities across Europe is of great concern… We must and will stand together to defend religious practice, including for Jews and Muslims in the face of growing attacks on religious slaughter.”

Parliamentary attendees included Jonathan Djanogly MP, Lord David Gold, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Dr Matthew Offord MP, Lord Monroe Palmer, Derek Thomas MP, and Theresa Villiers MP.

The APPG joined Finnish Jewish and Muslim communities, the Conference of European Rabbis, and the World Jewish Congress in asking for an amendment to the Bill that would exempt religious practices.

Shechita UK director Shimon Cohen, who presented, thanked the APPG for its “prompt action in support of our community and religious freedom” more generally.

“It is by standing together that we will ensure that Europe remains an inclusive place for all its communities, and that European states remain in the strongest possible position to continue to challenge human rights abuses further afield.”