Mark Zuckerberg's new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally...) - Postcards
Click on the link above to read about the founder of Facebook and his newest challenge: slaughtering the animals himself that provide meat for him to eat. He had posted this new challenge on his private Facebook page, and soon word got out. He explained that each year he learns something new and this year it was about learning where his food came from and appreciating it more. He learned about sustainable agriculture, became more aware of the food he ate and decided in the course of it all that he should participate as well. Most of his meals are now vegetarian and if he does eat meat, he slaughters it himself. I am not clear if he just kills it and has someone else "dress" it (pluck, skin, clean, etc which is really the harder and messier part) or does it all, but in any case it is a huge step for someone to take. I agree with the concept and know that it makes you appreciate food more. In the old days when families were more spiritual and religious, each meal began with thanks for the food we eat. It really meant something, especially to generations who remember food shortages, grew their own food, or came from farms.
Showing posts with label slaughter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slaughter. Show all posts
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
B.C. Muslims run up against slaughterhouse policy | TheThunderbird.ca from UBC journalism
B.C. Muslims run up against slaughterhouse policy | TheThunderbird.ca from UBC journalism
The crisp morning air smelled of blood and livestock as a group of Muslims arrived at a Pitt Meadows slaughterhouse to perform a ritual sacrifice on Eid ul-Adha, a key Islamic holiday.
“The first drop of blood spilled will absolve you of your sins,” said Sheikh Qaidjoher Mufaddal Diwan, one of the group members.
He had come prepared to slaughter a goat with his own hands, a practise allowed by the law and in accordance with the beliefs of the Bohra Muslim community
Judaic and Islamic ritual sacrifice are exempt from Canadian regulations that say a food animal should be stunned before slaughter to avoid undue suffering.
But the law provides some leeway to each federally-approved abattoir to decide how to implement the law, based on the policy of preventing unnecessary distress to the animal.
The Meadow Valley Meats slaughterhouse enforces a policy that the animal must be either stunned, or restrained or both, if a non-professional slaughterer is making the kill, putting it at odds with the Bohra
Listen: Slaughterhouse staff on stunning policy
Slaughterhouse officials told the Bohras that the animal must be stunned if they wanted to carry out the sacrifice themselves. They could alternatively let a professional carry out the ritual if they wanted the goat to be conscious at the time of slaughter.
Muslims prefer that the animal is conscious at the time of sacrifice for a number of reasons, and the Bohra emphasize the sanctity of doing it with their own hands.
Related: Guidelines for Islamic animal sacrifice
As a compromise, a slaughterhouse professional guided the hand of the Bohra as he carried out his sacrifice. Together they cut the goat’s neck in an act that satisfied statute, stomach and soul.
“The idea is to do it as humanely as possible, that’s why we use one quick stroke to the jugular vein and it’s over,” said Ahmed Medina, whose hand was guided by a professional as he sacrificed a goat.
Slaughterhouse rules
Meadow Valley Meats is the only meat company in B.C. that practices Islamic slaughter as per the community’s halal directives. Their abattoir receives orders from vendors across the province.
A majority of Muslims in Vancouver simply pay a halal meat shop money to have someone else slaughter the goat on their behalf.
Ibrahim Kandawala is one such vendor. He accepts and relays orders for goat sacrifice at Zabiha Foods, a halal meat-shop, in Surrey. His business increased by 10 to 15 per cent this year.
The increasing business reflects a growing Muslim population over the past 30 years.
The number of Muslims in B.C. has risen from 10,000 in 1980 to more than 75,000, according to the BC Muslim Association.
Statistics Canada expects the Muslim population of B.C. to double by 2017
The growing Muslim population and subsequent lack of facilities has posed hardships for some.
Two years ago, Murtaza Ali, a Bohra Muslim, had to forgo his sacrifice because there was not enough time to carry out all the sacrifices as well as the regular abattoir business.
“It was not at all convenient, the whole matter was out of my hands. I had to put it off,” said Ali.
Need for compromise
Representatives of the Muslim community say it is time for businesses to take account of the changing nature of B.C.’s population.
“The slaughterhouse is too far, and they are unable to accommodate so many customers,” Diwan wrote in an email. “We have to do the zabihat [sacrifice] before zaval, [midday] which becomes very difficult.”
The sheikh said that Muslims do not follow all their practices here in B.C. because there is not enough time, there are not enough provisions, and the slaughterhouses have their own rules.
For example, he said he was uncomfortable cutting the goat in the metal restraining brace provided by the abattoir.
“The head was just hanging down like that,” said Diwan.
There are Islamic guidelines to minimize discomfort to the animal, he added. The animal should be laid on a bed of mud on the right-hand side of the slaughterer, he said.
Diwan suggested that the federal government fund research on Islamic law-based animal slaughtering to improve facilities for Muslims and Canadians alike.
He said his community’s motives are in line with the federal policy for safety and hygiene.
“We can come up with a practice where nobody needs to compromise,” said Diwan.
B.C. Muslims run up against slaughterhouse policy
By Farida Hussain
A professional slaughterer guides a ritual sacrifice on Eid ul Adha
“The first drop of blood spilled will absolve you of your sins,” said Sheikh Qaidjoher Mufaddal Diwan, one of the group members.
He had come prepared to slaughter a goat with his own hands, a practise allowed by the law and in accordance with the beliefs of the Bohra Muslim community
Judaic and Islamic ritual sacrifice are exempt from Canadian regulations that say a food animal should be stunned before slaughter to avoid undue suffering.
But the law provides some leeway to each federally-approved abattoir to decide how to implement the law, based on the policy of preventing unnecessary distress to the animal.
The Meadow Valley Meats slaughterhouse enforces a policy that the animal must be either stunned, or restrained or both, if a non-professional slaughterer is making the kill, putting it at odds with the Bohra
Listen: Slaughterhouse staff on stunning policy
Slaughterhouse officials told the Bohras that the animal must be stunned if they wanted to carry out the sacrifice themselves. They could alternatively let a professional carry out the ritual if they wanted the goat to be conscious at the time of slaughter.
Muslims prefer that the animal is conscious at the time of sacrifice for a number of reasons, and the Bohra emphasize the sanctity of doing it with their own hands.
Related: Guidelines for Islamic animal sacrifice
As a compromise, a slaughterhouse professional guided the hand of the Bohra as he carried out his sacrifice. Together they cut the goat’s neck in an act that satisfied statute, stomach and soul.
“The idea is to do it as humanely as possible, that’s why we use one quick stroke to the jugular vein and it’s over,” said Ahmed Medina, whose hand was guided by a professional as he sacrificed a goat.
Slaughterhouse rules
The captive bolt pistol is commonly used to stun before slaughter
A majority of Muslims in Vancouver simply pay a halal meat shop money to have someone else slaughter the goat on their behalf.
Ibrahim Kandawala is one such vendor. He accepts and relays orders for goat sacrifice at Zabiha Foods, a halal meat-shop, in Surrey. His business increased by 10 to 15 per cent this year.
The increasing business reflects a growing Muslim population over the past 30 years.
The number of Muslims in B.C. has risen from 10,000 in 1980 to more than 75,000, according to the BC Muslim Association.
Statistics Canada expects the Muslim population of B.C. to double by 2017
The growing Muslim population and subsequent lack of facilities has posed hardships for some.
Two years ago, Murtaza Ali, a Bohra Muslim, had to forgo his sacrifice because there was not enough time to carry out all the sacrifices as well as the regular abattoir business.
“It was not at all convenient, the whole matter was out of my hands. I had to put it off,” said Ali.
Need for compromise
It is customary to feed the animal before slaughtering it
“The slaughterhouse is too far, and they are unable to accommodate so many customers,” Diwan wrote in an email. “We have to do the zabihat [sacrifice] before zaval, [midday] which becomes very difficult.”
The sheikh said that Muslims do not follow all their practices here in B.C. because there is not enough time, there are not enough provisions, and the slaughterhouses have their own rules.
For example, he said he was uncomfortable cutting the goat in the metal restraining brace provided by the abattoir.
“The head was just hanging down like that,” said Diwan.
There are Islamic guidelines to minimize discomfort to the animal, he added. The animal should be laid on a bed of mud on the right-hand side of the slaughterer, he said.
Diwan suggested that the federal government fund research on Islamic law-based animal slaughtering to improve facilities for Muslims and Canadians alike.
He said his community’s motives are in line with the federal policy for safety and hygiene.
“We can come up with a practice where nobody needs to compromise,” said Diwan.
Monday, January 3, 2011
From Cooking up a Story: Giving Thanks to Turkeys
http://vimeo.com/17087945
I know we are well past Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I found this video today that shows how turkeys should be harvested. Like the last video with the artisan butcher, this video speaks of the respect that should be given to animals who are used for meat. People who raise animals for meat do it because they like animals, oddly enough. The ideal way to sell an animal that you have raised for meat, is to have the purchaser participate in the process of slaughter. It sounds perhaps graphic and gory if you aren't used to it, but it is really true that the meal means much more to you if you understand the sacrifice that the animal has made. I am actually getting pickier about who I will sell to, because I don't want the meat to be unappreciated. Perhaps thanks should be given at every meal, like the good old days.
"Chef (and filmmaker) Daniel Klein recently visited LTD Farm where they were harvesting the turkeys they had raised for several Thanksgiving dinners. But they weren’t alone. Many of the eaters who had purchased one of the free range turkeys were invited to help in the process. As one participant said,
I know we are well past Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I found this video today that shows how turkeys should be harvested. Like the last video with the artisan butcher, this video speaks of the respect that should be given to animals who are used for meat. People who raise animals for meat do it because they like animals, oddly enough. The ideal way to sell an animal that you have raised for meat, is to have the purchaser participate in the process of slaughter. It sounds perhaps graphic and gory if you aren't used to it, but it is really true that the meal means much more to you if you understand the sacrifice that the animal has made. I am actually getting pickier about who I will sell to, because I don't want the meat to be unappreciated. Perhaps thanks should be given at every meal, like the good old days.
"Chef (and filmmaker) Daniel Klein recently visited LTD Farm where they were harvesting the turkeys they had raised for several Thanksgiving dinners. But they weren’t alone. Many of the eaters who had purchased one of the free range turkeys were invited to help in the process. As one participant said,
“To be able to make a conscious decision about eating meat, I think it’s important to understand the whole process, and I wanted to be able to engage in that discussion more than just a theoretical way.”As you will see in the video, reverence was given to each turkey as it was selected, butchered, and plucked. It is graphic, but also very educational. As a meat eater, I believe it is important to remember that what you are eating on your plate was once a living thing and be grateful and mindful of the nourishment it is giving you. On this Thanksgiving, consider giving thanks to (your) turkey, too."
Monday, October 4, 2010
Jack Knox: Slaughterhouse benefit is a meaty issue on Saltspring
Jack Knox: Slaughterhouse benefit is a meaty issue on Saltspring
Unfortunately, the link to the Times Colonist column by Jack Knox on the fundraising done by Salt Spring farmers is gone. But the fundraising is still ongoing, as they march towards their goal to raise enough for a local mobile slaughter facility that will take care of beef, lamb, pork and poultry needs for the island. As a fellow Gulf Islander, I am cheering them on. I am also hoping that my smaller island of Pender can also use this facility on wheels for our own use. As ferry costs go up - and we recently heard they are going up again - it will be more and more important for each island to be more resilient and self supporting.
Unfortunately, the link to the Times Colonist column by Jack Knox on the fundraising done by Salt Spring farmers is gone. But the fundraising is still ongoing, as they march towards their goal to raise enough for a local mobile slaughter facility that will take care of beef, lamb, pork and poultry needs for the island. As a fellow Gulf Islander, I am cheering them on. I am also hoping that my smaller island of Pender can also use this facility on wheels for our own use. As ferry costs go up - and we recently heard they are going up again - it will be more and more important for each island to be more resilient and self supporting.
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