Eid ritual slaughter Belgium Brussels ban controversy 2025
As Eid approaches, the debate over ritual slaughter reignites in Belgium. The opposition criticizes the capital’s inaction, now singled out as the country’s last territory to authorize this practice.
Official statistics revealed by MP Mathias Vanden Borre show 14,049 cattle and calves slaughtered without prior stunning during 2025. The report also includes 11,989 sheep and lambs as well as 5,207 goats, bringing the total to nearly 32,000 animals. For the N-VA representative, the persistence of this exemption in Brussels is deemed entirely irresponsible, while Flanders and Wallonia have enforced a strict ban validated legally since 2019.
On Bladi.net : ECHR Upholds Belgian Ban on Ritual Slaughter, Sparking Religious Freedom Debate
The nationalist elected official directly targets the inaction of the animal welfare minister, Elke Van den Brandt, whom he accuses of constantly postponing examination of the Brussels Code in Parliament. The text is currently frozen in committee. According to an article published by DHnet, majority parties refused last month to place this issue on the agenda, citing mere administrative checks.
Political backrooms reveal intense negotiations and accusations of betrayal. The opposition denounces the MR’s attitude, guilty according to them of abandoning its historical hardline positions to align with the PS. Several observers mention the existence of a secret agreement between these two parties to block the subject during the legislature. Socialists would thus choose to let discussions stall while awaiting the definitive closure of Anderlecht slaughterhouses scheduled for 2028.
On Bladi.net : Belgium Flights Morocco Cancelled Strike Today
For supporters of a ban, the legal arguments advanced by the majority do not hold. The Constitutional Court has already confirmed that a ban on slaughter without stunning remains fully compatible with freedom of worship. Mathias Vanden Borre insists that legal certainty is total and that only the political will of Brussels leaders is now lacking to definitively close this matter.
