Thousands of Muslims are expected to boycott school meals in a county after its council became Britain's first to ban halal beef and lamb from unstunned animals.
Some 27 schools across Lancashire serve meat from halal suppliers that do not stun animals before slaughter, including Church of England and Catholic schools.
But the county council's Conservative leader Geoff Driver proposed a ban, calling the practice an 'abhorrent' one that causes animals unnecessary stress and pain.
This week councillors voted 41 for the ban – which excludes poultry - with 24 of them against and 15 abstentions, reported the Lancashire Telegraph.
It raises the prospect of another boycott of halal meat in schools by thousands of Muslim children, following a similar policy being adopted in the area in 2012.
Abdul Qureshi, chairman of Lancashire Council of Mosques, had said last month that Muslims would boycott school meals if the council banned non-stunned meat.
Mr Driver exempted poultry from the ban because stunning chickens may kill them before slaughter and bleeding - therefore clearly breaking Muslim rules.
[TOP RATED COMMENT 2131 votes] well done councils ...well done!!
[2ND 1849] Where are the RSPCA in this affair, their remit is to protect animals from cruelty but their silence is deafening
[3RD 1752] I'm more shocked that this was ever allowed. A nation's mentality is shown by the way it treats animals. There's no place in cruelty and if it can be stopped so it should be.
[4TH 1654] Enough of this. Why does any sector of British society have to bend over backwards for a tiny minority of the population?
[5TH 1498] Oh according to some we don't have a right to tell anyone how they should slaughter animals? I think we do.
[6TH 1373] Good decision
[7TH 1372] The animal-welfare law has already been weakened to allow slaughter by the medieval halal method of throat-cutting. Allowing this to be done to unstunned animals has weakened the law still further. The law is meant to protect animals from unnecessary pain and distress and we must start insisting that it is upheld. [Daily Mail] Read more
