NEW: Behind Halal Ritual Slaughtering (English Version)

 

Wow, how come it doesn’t feel hurt to be slaughtered? I can’t imagine that. Even some people can’t see the slaughtering process of cattle. But, we know that slaughtering process is really needed. In west nations, it is always be a problem for animal welfare activist or organizations. They do focus on making statements that slaughtering process cannot be accepted. It is facing toward the animal welfare. But for us, moslem, slaughtering process by Islamic way is really important to be done. We can’t eat meat, sausage, steak, etc if the animals are not slaughtered by Islamic way.

Meat is the source of animal protein. Protein is one of the nutritional substances that important to be absorbed and used by human body. Animal protein is different with protein that comes from plants. Animal protein has a higher bioavailability rather than plant protein relatively. It means, protein that the source is animal can be absorbed by body more optimal than protein that comes from plant. It also known that animal protein has a complete amino acid. These important benefits are not enough for us, the moslem. We need to eat meat, yes it is right. But, the right path of Islam has ordered us to consume only the halal food, including meat. The halal meat is only come from halal way. So halal ritual slaughtering is process of slaughtering halal animal in halal way based on Al Quran and Assunnah.

It needs to be known that behind halal ritual slaughtering must be a ‘hikmah’, something that we can learn, something that can be understood by our heart and mind. Sometimes, sciences also prove it to be logically accepted. One of the ‘hikmah’ of halal ritual slaughtering is on the neck-cutting process.

The neck-cutting process (and we know it as slaughtering process) make the animal dead by flowing the blood out of the body. Moslem also know that blood is prohibited to be consumed, it is haram. So the neck-cutting process is the only one way to bleed the animal body properly. By cutting the three ways; jugular veins, throat, and esophagus, animal will be dead suddenly. It also makes blood flow out of the animal body at maximum condition. So, the meat will be free from blood.

Blood contains uric acid as a poisonous component inside mammals’ body. Uric acid is a toxic substance produced naturally by the body. As much as 98% uric acid in the body can be extracted from blood. As we know that the body has kidneys, the blood which contains so many uric acid will be ‘cleaned’ or ‘washed’ by flow through kidneys. Kidneys become filter inside the body. And then, the uric acid is dissolved in urine to be taken out of the body. Blood and its uric acid are dangerous to be consumed by human. If the animals are not slaughtered in halal way, for examples: by hitting, etc, that make the blood doesn’t out optimally, the blood remains inside the meat.

The other ‘hikmah’ based on the ritual method of slaughtering. It must be using sharp knife, must be done quickly, and saying the name of Allah. The sharpness of the knife will affect the pain feeling of the animal in the cutting process. Sharp knife and quick cut will cut the neck easily. The animal feels no pain. I still can’t imagine how it comes. But research proves it. Prof. Wilhelm Schulze and team, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover University, Germany did the research. At least, the research was about the investigations of ritual slaughtering and slaughtering with a captive bolt stunning process first.

I got it from the research paper:

 

The approach of these studies can be summarized as follows:

Experiments for measuring the heart frequency and brain activity during slaughter conditions were carried out on 23 sheep and 15 calves. After implanting permanent electrodes into the Os frontal the cerebral cortex impulses were measured for 17 sheep and 10 calves during ritual slaughter and for 6 sheep and 5 calves during captive bolt application with subsequent bloodletting. Some sheep were additionally subjected to thermal pain stimuli after the ritual cut.

The investigations had the following results:

• For slaughter by ritual cut:

1. After the bloodletting cut the EEG initially is the same as the EEG before the cut. There is a high probability that the loss of reaction took place within 4- 6 seconds for sheep and within 10 seconds for calves.
2. The zero line in the EEG was recorded no later than after 13 seconds for 17 sheep and no later than 23 seconds for 7 calves.
3. Thermal pain stimuli did not cause an increase in activity.
4. After the cut the heart frequency rose for calves within 40 seconds to 240 heart actions per minute and for sheep within 40 seconds to 280 heart actions per minute. 

• For slaughter after captive bolt application:

1. After captive bolt stunning all animals displayed most severe general disturbances (waves of 1-2 Hz) in the EEG, which almost with certainty eliminates a sense of pain.
2.  The zero line in the EEG was reached for 4 calves after 28 seconds.
3.  For two sheep the cerebral cortex activity only stopped in one half of the brain, whilst it continued in the other in the region (up to 3.5 Hz) until the bloodletting cut.
4. The bloodletting cut resulted for all animals in a brain activity (e and d waves).
5. Thermal pain stimuli caused an increase in activity in one sheep.
6. The heart frequency rose directly after stunning to values above 300 actions per minute.

In summary the following conclusions are possible:

 
Slaughter after captive bolt stunning 

• Calves

After captive bolt stunning most severe general disturbances (waves of 1-2 Hz) occurred in the EEG, which almost with certainty eliminates a sense of pain. 

• Sheep

Similar disturbances were also seen in sheep, but besides the somewhat higher frequency there are still clearly superimposed waves. For one animal waves could be recorded after pain stimuli until after the 200th second. Apparent cramps were registered for all sheep with the exception of one animal.

 Slaughter in the form of ritual cut

• Calves

After the bloodletting, cut loss of reaction (loss of consciousness) occurred with high probability within 10 seconds. A clear reaction to the cut could not be detected in any animal. For 7 animals a zero EEG was recorded no later than after 23 seconds. Cramps occurred in the animals regularly only after the brain currents had stopped.

• Sheep

After the bloodletting cut loss of reaction (loss of consciousness) occurred after 10 seconds the latest. A clear reaction to the cut could not be detected in any animal. The zero line was recorded no later than 14 seconds after the cut. Cramps only occurred after the zero line had been detected and were much shorter than after captive bolt stunning.

The slaughter in the form of ritual cut is, if carried out properly, painless in sheep and calves according to the EEG recordings and the missing defensive actions.

Nobody can dispute that any slaughter of animals is an aesthetically loaded process. Thus the wide-spread emotional resistance to kill an animal, which has not been stunned, by cutting the throat, is understandable. Certainly the psychological argument for stunning the animal to be slaughtered must be considered to some degree for the person carrying out the slaughter or consuming the meat of these animals.

We know that research is based on scientific finding. Faith will not under control of any sciences. Science must follow the faith and should strengthen our faith. So many ‘hikmah’ that haven’t been proved by science. May be it cannot be proved right now, or may be the science isn’t quite sufficient to prove it. Science is human mind basically and it is logic. But human mind is restricted.

Schulze W, Schultze-Petzold H, Hazem AS, Gross R. Experiments for the objectification of pain and consciousness during conventional (captive bolt stunning) and religiously mandated (“ritual cutting”) slaughter procedures for sheep and calves. Summary report. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 1978 Feb 5;85(2):62-6.

-Widyanto-