Ritual Slaughter, Animal Welfare and the Freedom of Religion
A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Fierce Debate in the Dutch Lower House
In: Journal of Religion in EuropeIn 2011, the Dutch House of Representatives voted for the first time in its history for banning the practice of unstunned ritual slaughter in accordance to Jewish and Islamic rites. How should this remarkable vote be understood? In order to answer this question, a critical discourse analysis has been carried out. Three discourses are discerned in the debate: ‘unstunned ritual slaughter as an outdated practice,’ ‘ritual slaughter as a form of ritual torture’ and ‘unstunned ritual slaughter as a legitimate religious practice.’ The growing parliamentary support for the first two mentioned discourses is related to recent changes in the Dutch political landscape. In a wider context, it is related to a shift in the national self-conception of the Netherlands and, linked to that, to a change in the perceived position of traditional religious minorities within Dutch society in the aftermath of 9/11 and the ‘Fortuyn revolt.’
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Dietram A. Scheuvele, “Framing as Theory of Media Effects,” Journal of Communication 49/1 (1999), 103–122; Peter Vasterman, Mediahype (Amsterdam: Aksant, 2005).
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Cf. Frank Lechner, The Netherlands: Globalization and National Identity (London/ New York: Routledge, 2008); Oskar Verkaaik, Ritueel burgerschap. Een essay over nationalisme en secularisme in Nederland (Amsterdam: Aksant, 2009); Pieter Dronkers, “De tolerante natie en haar ‘multireligieuze drama’. Nieuwe burgerschapsvisies en de ruimte voor religieuze loyaliteit,” in: Peter van Dam, James Kennedy, Friso Wielenga (eds.), Achter de zuilen. Op zoek naar religie in naoorlogs Nederland (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press 2014). 155–178.
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69
See Paul Cliteur, The Secular Outlook: In Defense of Moral and Political Secularism (Malden/ Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2012), and Hans den Boef, Nederland seculier! Tegen religieuze privileges in wetten, regels, pratijken, gewoonten en attitudes (Amsterdam:Van Gennep, 2003).
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75
Sipco J. Vellenga, “Religieuze orthodoxie als bedreiging. Verschuivingen in het publieke debat,” Tijdschrift voor Religie, Recht en Beleid 2/2 (2011), 7–22.
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Ritual Slaughter, Animal Welfare and the Freedom of Religion
A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Fierce Debate in the Dutch Lower House
In: Journal of Religion in EuropeIn 2011, the Dutch House of Representatives voted for the first time in its history for banning the practice of unstunned ritual slaughter in accordance to Jewish and Islamic rites. How should this remarkable vote be understood? In order to answer this question, a critical discourse analysis has been carried out. Three discourses are discerned in the debate: ‘unstunned ritual slaughter as an outdated practice,’ ‘ritual slaughter as a form of ritual torture’ and ‘unstunned ritual slaughter as a legitimate religious practice.’ The growing parliamentary support for the first two mentioned discourses is related to recent changes in the Dutch political landscape. In a wider context, it is related to a shift in the national self-conception of the Netherlands and, linked to that, to a change in the perceived position of traditional religious minorities within Dutch society in the aftermath of 9/11 and the ‘Fortuyn revolt.’
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 653 | 116 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 431 | 20 | 3 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 233 | 43 | 7 |