For the last two days, I could not get off a tweet by Brian Garrigan off my mind. Mr. Garrigan is an Irish businessman who unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate in the 2020 general election and this year's council elections. This man is not only Islamophobic but also anti-immigrant. He was spared jail recently after a judge in Dublin ruled that Garrigan had broken the law but gave him a chance to avoid having a recorded conviction by donating €500 to the Make a Wish children’s charity. 

 

On March 7, Brian Garrigan's tweet appeared in my Twitter feedback, which reads,

 

"Do you think Halal should be banned because of its cruelty to animals? 

 YES NO     If YES, I will follow you back."

 

Personally, I don't care about following him on Twitter or whether her is carnivore or vegetarian. However, in defense of Islam, I decided to respond to him indirectly by writing an article about how "halal meat" is better, safer, and that the method of slaughtering animals the Islamic way is more human and compassionate.

 

To begin with, Muslims cannot eat the following types of meat:

 

* Pork and pork products: Explicitly forbidden in Islam.

* Dead meat (carrion): Meat from animals that died of causes other than proper slaughter.

* Strangled animals

* Animals that beaten to death

* Animals killed by a fall

* Animals killed by goring with the horn

* Animals which wild beast has eaten, except if is still alive and you have slaughtered. (Quran: 2. 3)

 

Muslims are commanded to avoid slaughtering the animals when there is no need, then it is better to let them continue to graze. Almighty God will appreciate and reward such acts of mercy.

 

Under Islamic law, animals intended for human consumption should be slaughtered in certain ways. That is what defines "halal" slaughter or what makes the meat halal (it means permissible in Arabic) to be consumed by Muslims. Contrary to some who say that halal slaughter is BARBARIC, it is rather the most humane method available in meat processing and acceptable to Muslim consumers. Halal meat is also safer, healthier, and tastier.  Here are the conditions of halal slaughter:

 

* The animal must be alive at the time of the slaughter.

* The animal can't be sick.

* The animal can't be pregnant.

* The animal must be slaughtered by the use of a sharp knife and in one stroke without lifting the knife. 

* The name of Allah must be invoked at the time of the slaughtering by saying: Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.

* The slaughter must be done by a sane adult Muslim (a man or a woman) to be deemed halal.  

* Any knife used for slaughtering pigs should not be used during halal slaughtering.

* It is recommended to offer water to the animal before slaughter and it should not be slaughtered when hungry. 

* The knife should be hidden from the animal and slaughtering should be done out of sight of other animals waiting to be slaughtered.

* The head of the animal must not be cut off during slaughter but later after the animal is dead.

* Skinning or cutting any part of the animal is not allowed before the animal is completely dead.

* All kinds of seafood are lawful (halal) to consume for Muslims. It makes no difference whether seafood is dead or alive and it does not have to be slaughtered in a specific way.