Juleha calls for humane slaughter of sacrificial animals

…So the concept is not about killing Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Halal Butchers Association (Juleha) Indonesia has emphasised the importance of compassionate treatment and animal welfare to minimise stress during sacrificial slaughter. Fredi Insan Nurfadli from Juleha Indonesia’s Dawah Team told ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday that incidents of sacrificial animals becoming aggressive are closely linked to poor environmental management at slaughter sites. Fredi analogised the slaughter area to a human operating room, where cleanliness and neutral atmosphere must be strictly maintained to prevent subsequent animals from panicking. ‘Imagine the operating room situation. The first patient is being operated on. Then the second patient is about to enter, but the blood from the first patient hasn’t been cleaned. Imagine, would the second person enter the operating room? No. There’s blood in the operating room,’ he said. Other negligent actions by committees include conspicuously sharpening knives, which not only frightens animals but is also prohibited under Islamic law. Fredi reminded that sacrifice is a medium to draw closer to the Creator, so the entire process must prioritise ethics and compassion. ‘So the concept is not about killing. Because in society, the main focus is often just making the cow die, but not paying attention to the compassion. But this is worship, a very sacred act,’ he explained. To prevent excessive animal panic, Fredi suggested committees use non-violent stunning methods, maintain distance between animal pens and slaughter areas, and limit execution personnel to a maximum of four around the sterile slaughter zone.