A challenging case of the right to practise one’s religion versus accepted community standards is unfolding with the spotlight on Halal killing of cattle in Australia.

It will be interesting to see if the Australian standard for ‘humane’ killing, stunning the animal before slaughter which we have applied to Indonesia, will be applied to our own nation!

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils is the accreditation body for halal food.

It accepts the stunning of animals but president Ikebal Patel says exemptions are needed to accommodate for religious freedoms.

“It’s not necessarily more humane to have all animals stunned because the process of stunning itself is inherently painful to the animal on impact,” he said.

“The jury’s out, but I think [if] you talk to somebody who may be having a very strong belief that it should be all non-standard, you are denying them their right from a religious perspective.

“It could be discrimination, it could also be belittling one of their fundamental rights to existence.”

ABC news, RSPCA shifts spotlight to ritual slaughter.

This raises the whole issue of, When is a religious rite not right?

eg, my view that the marriage rite is right for a man and a woman, but not a right rite for a Threesome.  We live in interesting times!

RE: Sharia Law in Australia:

It is interesting to note the change of attitude by Ikebal Patel, the President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils which is the accreditation body for  halal food, re introducing Sharia Law in Australia, It was a mistake to mention sharia law, admits Australian Islamic leader.

See his earlier Submission to a national Parliamentary Committee, Muslim push for Sharia in Oz.