France insists 'no ban' on halal slaughter

France’s position on the 2009 European regulation to permit the obligation of prior stunning of animals in the event of ritual slaughter "remains unchanged", Anadolu Agency reported, citing the French agriculture and food ministry.

Authorities of three major mosques in Paris, Lyon and Evry on March 18 issued a joint statement, expressing concern for the French-Muslim community ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

A ministerial instruction dated November 23, 2020 "could result in banning the slaughter of poultry according to the halal ritual, as of July 2021", they said.

The response from the senior Muslim leaders sparked a flurry of social media posts and misinformed claims.

The ministry said the new circular clarifies control methods applicable to all types of poultry slaughter and stunning methods, without modifying the existing rules in practice nationally. It does not call into question the possibility of practicing ritual slaughter, it said.

Slaughter operators wishing to remain exempt from stunning obligations for religious purposes are permitted to do so by French regional authorities.

Last October, France's interior minister said he was "shocked" about the existence of seperate isles for halal and kosher food in certain supermarkets.

Paris has since launched a crackdown on what it calls "Islamic seperatism," which has come under fire for discrimination against the French-Muslim population.  

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