Humane and compassionate
YANG di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V showed compassion towards cattle earmarked for the Hari Raya Haji sacrificial ritual recently by adopting the Islamic slaughtering technique which has been scientifically proven to be humane.
His Majesty used an extremely sharp knife to swiftly cut the jugular veins and carotid arteries on both sides of the animal neck as well as the trachea and oesophagus while leaving the spinal cord intact.
The Western method involves the use of the captive bolt pistol (CBP), commonly known as the stun gun, before the slaughtering.
Prof Wilhelm Schulze and fellow researcher Dr A.S. Hazem of Hanover University in Germany, in an experiment conducted in 1978 found that the Islamic technique, archaic it may be, was humane compared with the Western method.
In the experiment, electrodes were surgically implanted at various points of the animal skull, touching the brain surface.
Electroencephalograph (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) comparisons were made between animals slaughtered using the Islamic method and that of the Western method.
In the Islamic method, the EEG remained unchanged from before the incision up to the first three seconds of the slaughtering process, indicating the animals did not feel any pain during, or immediately after the incision.
The EEG also recorded a condition of deep sleep the following three seconds, indicating a state of unconsciousness.
The EEG reading dropped to zero after six seconds, indicating no sensation of pain.
As the EEG reading dropped to zero, the ECG reflected a still pounding heart, and the body convulsed vigorously following the spinal cord reflex, thus maximising drainage of blood out of the body.
The blood drainage process resulted in hygienic meat for human consumption.
Whereas in the Western method, the EEG reflected that the animals were in severe pain immediately after the stunning, and more blood was retained in the meat because the heart stopped beating earlier. Retention of blood renders the meat unhygienic.
The result of the experiment had negated allegations of cruelty often linked to Islamic slaughtering method.
This year Sultan Muhammad V, Acting Sultan of Kelantan Tengku Dr Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz Petra and Tengku Temenggong of Kelantan Tengku Tan Sri Mohamad Rizam Tengku Abdul Aziz graced the sacrificial ritual at the grounds of the Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Islamic Complex in Kota Baru.
A total of 70 cows were slaughtered. The King donated 30 and personally slaughtered a few of them.