Religious genocide remains prohibited in two Belgian states, EU’s highest human rights court rules

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, has ruled unanimously that the ban on kosher or halal slaughter in Belgium’s Wallonia and Flanders regions does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights. The decision followed a legal challenge by Belgian citizens and organizations representing Muslim and Jewish communities who argued that cantonal regulations banning the slaughter of religious animals violated religious freedom. It is.

The court held that “the protection of public order and morals cannot be understood as having the sole purpose of protecting human dignity in the field of interpersonal relations” and that the prohibition was “proportional to the objective pursued, namely the protection of the human person”. and justified the sentence. Animal welfare as an element of “public morality”. ”

In 2022, the Belgian parliament voted against a bill banning religious genocide. Of the 89 members of parliament, 88 took part in this dramatic vote, with 42 voting against and 38 voting in favor. Wallonia and Flanders are the only two regions in Belgium that prohibit religious genocide. The Jewish community was outraged when this ban was upheld by the Belgian parliament, and the European Court of Justice approved a ban on kosher massacres in these areas.

“Today is a terrible day for Europe. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that animal rights outweigh human rights. The Strasbourg court’s decision is disappointing but not unexpected.” Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference (CER), said:

CER consistently opposed participation in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights. “This self-inflicted scar on Belgian society should never have been brought to Strasbourg. Europe’s Jewish and Muslim communities will continue to fight for religious freedom and equality in Europe. “The task is now becoming increasingly difficult,” he added.

The European Jewish Association (EJA) is “deeply shocked” by the Human Rights Court’s decision, which is “contrary to the religious rights of Jews and Muslims.” “We call on the government and parliament to enact legislation committed to preserving the continent’s people’s freedom of religion and worship, including kosher and halal genocide,” the group said in a letter.

EJA President Rabbi Menachem Margolin said, “The implicit determination of the distorted ruling is that the rights of these peoples to freedom of religion and worship are even lower than the rights of animals.”