Farage accused of driving Jews from Britain after Ukip pledge to ban religious slaughter of animals
Ukip backs plans to outlaw killing of animals for meat without stunning
The RSPCA has called for the practice to be made illegal in the UK
David Cameron has promised to keep exemptions for religious purposes
Ukip said it was ‘time someone stood up for rights of the silent majority’
Jewish Chronicle said it means Jews ‘may not keep kosher and remain’
MEP Stuart Agnew said the policy was not meant to ‘target’ Jews
By John Stevens for the Daily Mail
Published: 13:28 EST, 3 February 2015 | Updated: 02:44 EST, 4 February 2015
Nigel Farage has been accused of driving Jews from Britain after his party pledged to ban the ritual slaughter of animals.
Ukip has backed plans to outlaw the killing of animals for meat in the UK without stunning them first.
The RSPCA and British Veterinary Association have called for the practice to be made illegal, but David Cameron has promised to keep exemptions for religious purposes such as Muslim halal and Jewish shechita.
Ukip said it was ‘about time someone stood up for the rights of the silent majority in the ethical treatment of animals instead of bowing down to those who shout the loudest’.
The party’s agricultural spokesman said that losing Jewish was ‘collateral damage’ as there were ‘more votes to be gained’ elsewhere.
In a statement the party said: ‘We respect religious groups to carry out slaughter in the UK according to how they define and read their scriptures.
‘What we do not allow however is for the rights and demands of groups within those religion override the UK’s compassionate traditions of animal welfare.
Ukip’s decision comes after footage emerged of a worker at a halal abattoir ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats
Ukip’s decision comes after a petition demanding an outright ban on slaughtering animals without stunning them first attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
It comes after footage emerged of a worker at a halal abattoir breaking strict rules on slaughtering sheep.
The men could face prosecution for the ‘horrifying yet routine abuse’ captured by animal rights campaigners using hidden cameras.
Slaughtermen at the Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are seen ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats in apparent contravention of Islamic practice.
The policy change was met with dismay by campaign group Shechita UK, which said Mr Farage had previously supported the Jewish community’s right to continue the practice.
Campaign director Shimon Cohen said: ‘Citing weak, agenda-led science, Ukip has become the first major political party in the UK to call for a ban on religious slaughter.
‘This latest move is opportunistic and a disappointing shift from Ukip’s previous position.
‘By joining the campaign to prioritise “animal welfare” over the rights and beliefs of the UK’s faith communities Ukip has returned to the fringes of mainstream politics.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2938362/Farage-accused-wanting-drive-Jews-Britain-Ukip-pledge-ban-religious-slaughter-animals.html#ixzz3RfgDGwcx
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