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| Image: http://www.eurojewcong.org |
Before I write on the topic, I would just like to thank all of my friends (and blog friends) for wishing such beautiful things for the coming year. I actually spent some time debating whether birthdays were meant to celebrate the past year lived, or the year to be lived and decided that my birthday shall celebrate both. This year was my first facebook birthday and I must say it was extremely fun.
Also, the reason 21st birthdays are such big deals are because that is when people start to drink. We Jews have been drinking on a weekly basis since birth, so no big deal.
You probably think this post is going to rant about how my tolerance for dating is slowly diminishing.
I am not going to write about that at all.
Since it is almost Tisha B'av, I thought I would write about an issue that has nothing to do with dating. An issue that has lots to do with modern persecution.
I want to write about the issue with Kosher slaughter that Holland's Jewish Community is currently dealing with.
I will not write opinions, thoughts. This will be more like The Ban On Shechita For Dummies.
1) Europe has been experiencing a rise diminishing tolerance towards immigrant communities in the past decade:
A: The building of Mosques was forbidden in Switzerland
B: Burqas were prohibited in France and Belgium
2) The Animal Party in the Netherlands holds 2 seats in the parliament.
3) In response to a new study in New Zealand which proclaims stunning to be the most humane way to kill animals, the Animal Party proposed a law which would prohibit slaughter of animals without prior stunning.
4) Law in the Netherlands has to pass the lower house, the upper house and has to be then ratified by the Prime Minister.
5) On June 28th, 2011 the bill passed in the Lower House 116 vs. 30
6) The Upper House will reconvene in September and will vote on the bill between October and December
7) The Wilders party is the extremist right wing party. They joined the law hoping to fight increasing immigration.
8) Please keep in mind that Holland has a population of 15 million, 1 million of them Muslims, and 40,000 Jews.
9) The Socialist party added a caveat to the law which states that if a certain way of slaughter has been proven to be humane before a standing commission, that slaughter will be permitted.
10) Problem with that is that the caveat assumes "guilty until proven innocent". By default the caveat in the law implies that Kosher Slaughter is and Judaism is primitive.
I think this should be enough for now...
I wish everyone an easy and meaningful fast. I pray that this will be the last 9th of Av spent in mourning. And may we all merit the day when it will turn Meevel Lesimcha"
