Ex-slaughterman's action threatens meat industry
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National
A Muslim slaughterman's attempts to discredit the New Zealand meat industry have drawn the attention of the country's spy service.
Meat Industry Association members said they were contacted by the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) this week after Ahmed Ghanem, an Egyptian-born halal slaughterman now living in Christchurch, published articles on a British website decrying New Zealand slaughter methods as inhumane and contrary to Islamic practice.
Ghanem said he and other anti-stunning activists in the Muslim world had successfully sought a fatwa, or religious ruling, from senior clerics condemning the practice.
Meat industry figures in New Zealand have called Ghanem a "troublemaker".
They fear his comments could affect the multimillion-dollar industry, particularly in the Gulf states, where New Zealand has extensive markets.
Meat Industry Association management support officer Michael Pran said Ghanem could provoke Muslim states such as Malaysia and Indonesia to send inspectors to review New Zealand methods.
"He could scare people and that could harm the industry," he said. "The SIS are on his case. They are looking at it as well."
The SIS could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
Its website lists "protecting New Zealand from threats to our international and economic wellbeing" as one of its tasks.
Ghanem's essay, published online at unstunnedhalal.com said New Zealand methods, which involve stunning animals with electrodes before slaughter, violated Islamic codes.
Halal slaughter stipulates an animal must be killed by one fast cut to the neck so the animal bleeds to death.
It must face Mecca, and the slaughterman must evoke the name of God by saying "Bismallah Allahu Akbar".
Ghanem told The Press that in his time as a slaughterman, animals often reached his knife already dead from the stunning procedure, which was akin to eating carrion and therefore non-halal.
Many of the animals would not bleed when cut and the rate of killing up to eight a minute did not allow sufficient time for religious observances.
"Where is the respect for the animal? You don't have time," he said.
When he took his concerns to his employers he was fired, he said.
Ghanem said he and other anti-stunning activists had sought a fatwa from influential Egyptian Muslim scholar and cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who ruled against the process.
Ghanem's former employer, New Zealand Islamic Meat Management director Dr Mohammed Abdel-Al, said Ghanem's comments could have a serious impact on New Zealand's exports and needed to be discredited.
"If you've got a twisted branch, you've got to cut it," he said.
Abdel-Al said stunning livestock before slaughter was a legal requirement in New Zeal-and.
Stunning made the animal docile and reduced danger to the slaughterman, Abdel-Al said.
He said Ghanem worked for his company briefly but was "let go" after becoming aggressive with his plant manager over his concerns.
An industry paper released to The Press said it was "conceivable that in rare instances animals could be harmed or even killed by electrical stunning".
"In any such case, it would be the responsibility of the Muslim slaughterman to identify such an animal," it said.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Firstly the company should not have fired him for briefing his concern on the way the animal should be slaughted. And if this is true the company Product should not be consumed by Muslims in New Zealand.
Please follow the proper Muslim Prodecure to slaught animals
This is a case of false advertizing. If Ghanem is right, then the local authorities should not market their meat as halal. That would be fraud and undermine trust which is essential in a business relationship. Honesty is the best policy. Meat inspectors should be welcomed if the meat industry is upholding standards. Also ignore the rantings of "sheikh Yermani," known internet nazi active in promoting violence and hatred against Muslims and misinformation about Islam. Selling meat according to Muslim standards to Muslim nations doesn't make New Zealand Islamic any more then Church bells making Indonesia Christian.
TO ALL OF THOSE WHO TALK TO MUCH WITHOUT KNOWING THE TRUTH LOOOK AT THIS IT HAPPEN HERE AS WELL AS OVER THERE
Hi Bluey Have you researched which method is more humane? I invite you to look at the following scientific arguments proving that Islamic slaughter is more humane than other methods! http://www.themodernreligion.com/misc/an/an_slaughter.htm
Kind regards Ismail
instead of displaying ur hidden bias and latent prejudice with comments that only display gross ignorance, it will serve u much better to first properly and thoroughly investigate before commenting.
fyi, from a scientific AND medical prspective, it has been proven in 7 western countries authorative research, including US, UK, GERMANY and AUSTRALIA that the Islamic System of animal slaughter is far superior to any modern method, from the animals rights to the quality and health benefits of the meat produced and everything in between.
instead of displaying ur hidden bias and latent prejudice with comments that only display gross ignorance, it will serve u much better to first properly and thgoroughly investigate before commenting. fyi, from a scientific AND medical prspective, it has been proven in 7 western countries authorative research, including US, UK, GERMANY and AUSTRALIA that the Islamic System of animal slaughter is far superior to any modern method, from the animals rights to the quality and health benefits of the meat produced and everything in between.
you can translate this link from arabic to english by google
the article 'Halal Protest highlighted exactly why the International Muslim Community must immediatley terminate all relationships with the NZ Meat Industry who habitually 'coin aggressive phrases' of intimidation by instigating threatening rumours of "S.I.S" involvement as a psychological deterrent to prevent Foreign and Migrant Muslims from speaking out against the Horrific treatment of NZ Animals and the Inferior status of Islamic laws and Muslim Slaughterman within the NZ Halal Industry. Only Religious practicing Muslims qualify as Halal Slaughterman (Halal meaning Lawful in Arabic) who basically observes 5 daily prayers of Worship on time, attends weekly Friday Congregations no less than once every 3 weeks and must fast the month of Ramadan. In Judaism and Islam stunned animals are ruled Illegal. As we know and leading NZ Meat Industry figures forgot, Muslims kill the meat, Muslims purchase the meat and Muslims eat the meat. This foreseen dilemma reflects those amongst us whom do not value the common code of trust and to their likely demise underestimated their term of 'unethical misconduct'. Te Amorangi Izhaq Kireka-Whaanga The NZ Halal Slaughterman Union Christchurch
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How about this - NZ makes halal slaughter illegal and all the moslems go live where they can get meat they approve of? I'm for making the practice of islam as difficult in the West as the practice of other religions is in islamic countries. Oh, and #20, you neglected to quote the reference for your claims of halal's superiority. That should be good for a laugh.