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Review Article

Dispute on ritual slaughter

Krzysztof Tereszkiewicz, Karolina Choroszy, Piotr Tereszkiewicz

Rzeszow University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Department of Computer Engineering in Management, Powstańców Warszawy 8, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland

University in Leuven (KU Leuven), Institute for Commercial and Insolvency Law, Tiensestraat 41, box 3434 3000 Leuven, Belgium,

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 16(1), 2017, 3‒8
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2017.16.1.01

Abstract. The following paper aims to analyze the arguments presented by the supporters and opponents in the discussion concerning moral and legal aspects of ritual slaughter in Poland and to delineate a possible area of compromise. In the ongoing debate concerning ritual slaughter, three main positions can be distinguished: defenders of animal rights, demanding a prohibition of the slaughter due to its non-humanitarian nature, meat producers pointing out economic losses resulting from the prohibition, and religious minorities, according to whom this prohibition violates the laws guaranteed by the Constitution and deprives them of this vital element deciding about their cultural identity. From a theologically-moral perspective, an optimal solution of this problem in Poland should involve a gradual introduction of restrictions concerning the performance of ritual slaughter on an industrial scale with a simultaneous guarantee given to the religious communities to obtain meat for their own use in line with their tradition. If ritual slaughter on an industrial scale was maintained, it would be necessary to introduce fundamental changes in the regulations of the performance of this act with the aim of improving the welfare of the animals.

Keywords: dispute, slaughter, ritual slaughter, halal, kosher