21 Feb 2012

Halal slaughter emerges as French election issue

4:17 pm on 21 February 2012

Halal slaughter has become an election issue in France, following a television documentary's revelation that all of the abattoirs in the greater Paris region have switched meat production entirely to halal methods.

The documentary says some abattoirs are selling the meat without labelling it as halal-killed in order to avoid the cost of running separate lines for halal and non-halal customers.

The news has stirred a political storm in France, where attitudes to Europe's largest Muslim minority are a factor in the current presidential election campaign.

The far-right candidate Marine Le Pen says the abattoirs have succumbed to the rules of a minority and voters have reason to be disgusted.