(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – Outraging many Americans, the city council of a Muslim-majority city in Michigan has passed a new law legalizing the religious sacrifice of animals, thus accommodating ritual slaughter practices during Islam’s holy days.
The Hamtramck City Council approved the change to allow Muslim ritual slaughter with three votes in favor and two against. All five City Council members are Muslims.
The city mayor, Amer Ghalib, cast a tie-breaking vote, The Detroit Free Press reported.
Formerly dominated by Polish immigrants, since 2013, Hamtramck has been the only Muslim-majority city in the United States. It has a population of 28,000 and is part of the Detroit metropolitan area.
The new city law in favor of animal sacrifice was adopted after “several months of contentious debate and pressure from Muslim residents,” the report pointed out.
It added that “Muslims often slaughter animals during the holiday of Eid al-Adha” and that Hamtramck has a sizeable Muslim population.
The changing of the city ordinance that banned the religious sacrifice of animals at home was welcomed with applause by community members who had “packed” the city council meeting.
One of the Hamtramck City Councilors who supported the change said animal slaughters would not cause the city to “blow up with the nasty blood, contamination.”
Under the revised ordinance, those who slaughter animals are required to do it in a sanitary manner and to notify the local administration in advance.
They are also obliged to ensure that the slaughter is not visible to members of the general public who do not wish to see it.
A commentary by The National Review describes the animal slaughter practice of the Michigan Muslims as “disquieting.”
However, it also says it is consistent with the spirit of the First Amendment’s “free exercise” clause,” meaning “the new ordinance promotes religious freedom,” of which “more,” “not less,” is needed in America.
It adds PETA or other activist groups would hardly protest the new law in the Muslim-majority city of Hamtramck, including due to a 1993 decision of the US Supreme Court which ruled religious animal sacrifice cannot be outlawed.
Thus, even if one would like to shield animals from ritual slaughter pain, that cannot override the state’s protection of religious freedom.
“This is the price of greater pluralism and diversity in society. Religious practices that the majority would shrink from should generally be tolerated, absent a compelling state interest to the contrary,” the commentary states.
A city council in Michigan has voted to approve animal sacrifice, a law passed to accommodate Muslim practices during holy days. | @theWesleyJSmith https://t.co/vwusKCbppa
— National Review (@NRO) January 11, 2023
