Halal: Part 1: The Slaughter

All meat eaten in Muslim countries has to be "halal." The closest thing to this that we see in American grocery stores is "kosher," the Jewish regulation for meat.

From what I know, just by living in a Muslim country and studying Islam in college, if meat is Halal, it has been slaughtered only after repeating the words "bismallah," meaning "in the name of God." Additionally, the animal has been treated well in life, and just recently I learned, has never seen another animal killed in order to ensure that the animal is not stressed at the time of its slaughter. These are the most commonly known regulations that must be followed in order for meat to be Halal.

To me the most interesting regulation is the manner of slaughter, which is a knife incision through the neck, but leaving the spine intact. I learned that rule only after I witnessed from my balcony my neighbors slaughter a bull in front of their house for an Eid (Islamic holiday) celebration. I wondered why they didn't decapitate the animal, but left its head hanging by the spine. This rule seems to me to conflict with the other regulations that mandate that the animal be treated well and not experience stress and pain. Because the spine wasn't severed, the massive bull stayed alive, kicking for several minutes after its jugular vein had been cut. It was a somewhat traumatizing experience, but that was four months ago and I've since returned to my carnivorous habits. Nevertheless, every time I buy Halal meat, which is every time I buy meat, I think of that morning.

I'm still not quite sure what to think about the Halal rules. I'm personally more interested in the life of the animal, rather than its death. When people talk about and explain Halal to non-Muslims, the life the animal prior to slaughter is often not mentioned. I wonder why, since respecting God's gifts is such an important part of this religious and cultural tradition. How are animals to be raised if they are going to be Halal? And more importantly, how well is this rule followed by the average Muslim farmer?