WHY IS DHABIHAH IN THE NEWS?

Anthony Scissons in on trial for letting Muslim men perform the halal-related ritual slaughter of lambs on his farm, writes Andrew Duffy.

Q What is dhabihah?

A The Islamic ritual slaughter of animals is called dhabihah (or zabihah), a method governed by a strict set of rules. Animals and birds must be slaughtered using this method in order to be considered halal, or lawful, under Islamic dietary laws. Foods that are considered haram, or forbidden, include alcohol, pork and any meat not purposefully slaughtered for consumption using this ritual method. Jews practise a similar form of religious animal slaughter known as shechita. An animal must be slaughtered using this method for it to be stamped as kosher.

Q What are some the rules?

A According to the Halal Food Authority, a widely recognized certification body, Islamic ritual slaughter must be carried out using a razor-sharp knife with a straight and smooth blade. The animal must be alive and healthy when it’s killed by swiping the knife across the animal’s throat. The cut should sever the carotid artery, jugular vein and windpipe to bring about a rapid death, but not sever the animal’s spinal cord. The slaughterer, an adult Muslim, must speak the Arabic phrase, “Bismillah, Allahu akbar “(“In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest”) during the ritual. “It is like asking permission to take the life of the animal,” explains Abdul Wakil Zazay, co-owner and manager of Bilal Farms, which has supplied halal meat to the Ottawa Muslim community since 1998. Zazay says it’s important, during dhabihah, to ensure that the animal does not suffer. All the blood must be completely drained from the animal’s carcass. Both Muslim men and women can perform the ritual.

Q Why is dhabihah in the news?

A Anthony Scissons is on trial in provincial court on six charges laid under Ontario’s Food Safety and Quality Act. Among other things, he’s charged with operating an unlicensed slaughterhouse, selling uninspected meat and failing to have the animal inspected before and after slaughter. The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 26, 2012, when Scissons sold lambs to three Muslim men, who then slaughtered the animals on his farm in accordance with dhabihah. The men took the meat home to share with family and friends as part of their Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Q Why is the case controversial?

A The case has stirred emotions for a number of reasons. For one thing, Scissons contends he was discriminated against as a non-Muslim because he was the only one charged in the case even though he had nothing to do with the actual slaughter of the animals. His lawyer, Kurtis Andrews, has suggested the province does not want to stir up a political hornet’s nest by charging the Muslim men who performed the slaughter. The Ontario Landowners Association has pointed to the case as more unwanted government intrusion into traditional rural life. President Tom Black says the law was designed to regulate slaughter plants and should not be applied to small farmers such as Scissons, who are simply carrying on the kind of farm commerce that has existed for generations. Black says he grew up selling lambs, rabbits and pigs to the “Greek guys and Italian guys. They slaughtered on-site themselves because they wanted to inspect it themselves,” he says. “They don’t want some government inspector’s word for it that it’s good meat.” Black says the Scissons case highlights the nonsensical nature of a law that allows hunters to kill and slaughter animals, and gives farmers the right to slaughter animals for their personal consumption but doesn’t allow city dwellers to buy an animal and slaughter it on a farm. Licensed halal slaughterhouses are also watching the case closely.

Q Is it easy to find a licensed halal slaughterhouse in Ottawa?

A There are now four halal slaughterhouses serving the Ottawa area, up from just one in 1991. Zazay says the dhabihah method of slaughtering gives meat a distinct taste. “With halal meat, you taste the meat,” he says. During the three days of Eid last year, Bilal Farms slaughtered about 600 lambs.