An advertisement in Belgian radio in favour of a ban on ritual slaughter has been sharply criticised by Jewish and Muslim representatives. The makers have been accused, among other things, of constructing the advertisement on the basis of Holocaust themes.

The advertisement was produced by the Antwerp animal protection group Gaia for national radio stations and was sent by email to 200 politicians. It tells a simulated story about the slaughter from the perspective of a lamb.

“We were sleeping when they came to us,” says the lamb. “I couldn’t understand a word of their foreign language. They jammed us into the wagon and led us into a building with blood on the floor. I know what’s going to happen to me but I can only wait for it.”

A speaker then says: “Unstunned animals are very aware of what’s happening in front of them in the slaughterhouse. Politicians need to change the law and ban ritual slaughter.”

Jewish and Muslim religious laws require that animals be slaughtered without stunning – a practice that is considered horrific by animal rights activists.

In a strongly-worded condemnation of the advertisement, Nicolas Zomersztajn, from the Brussels Jewish community said to the Belgian news agency Belga that the advertisement was “a new example of the banalisation of the genocide by Gaia activists.” The executive committee of Belgian Muslims said the campaign “borders on racism”.

Translation via Islam Versus Europe.

• Officers say they fired stun guns to protect public and colleagues
• 50,000-volt weapon used against 75 dogs, two cows and a sheep
• Most of the dogs which were subdued were pit-bulls or mastiffs

Police have shot almost 80 animals with Taser stun-guns since 2010, figures show.

Officers say they fired the 50,000-volt stun guns to protect the public and their colleagues from aggressive animals. The weapon was deployed against 75 dogs, two cows and a sheep.

Figures from police forces across the country show that most of the dogs which were subdued were pit-bulls or mastiffs.

Scotland Yard has used Tasers on 12 dogs, including an out-of-control bull mastiff which was shot by three officers last summer.

The police log said the dog was fired at because it had attacked members of the public in the street and became aggressive towards officers.

In another incident earlier this year a Metropolitan Police officer Tasered a Staffordshire Terrier after it attacked a man in public gardens.

The report said: ‘Upon arrival male seen covered in blood lying on ground with a dog biting his arms and legs. Officer discharged Taser to prevent any further injuries.’

Police in north Devon stunned a ram after it ran across traffic on the A30 near Okehampton and they were ‘unable to contain it’.

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The Polish parliament has defeated an attempt to protect religious slaughter in law.

In November last year, the constitutional court ruled that a derogation which allows Jews and Muslims to kill animals without pre-stunning was unconstitutional and incompatible with animal welfare laws.

In May, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, submitted a draft of new regulations designed to allow kosher and halal slaughter while reducing the suffering of the animals. The draft law was voted down today.

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