Suit In Belgium Challenges Wallonia's Ban On Kosher Slaughter

In Belgium yesterday, the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations of Belgium (CCOJB) filed suit in the country's Constitutional Court challenging a law passed in May by the parliament of the Walloon Region that effectively bans kosher and halal slaughter.  A similar lawsuit is likely to be filed early next year challenging a similar law passed in July by the parliament of Flanders-- where half of Belgium's Jews live and where many kosher slaughtering facilities are located.  Reporting on the lawsuit, European Jewish Press quote the president of CCOJB who said:

Irrespective of its justification, a ban on kosher meat production sends a message to Belgian Jews that they can choose between living in Belgium and practicing their religion, but they cannot do both. It sends a clear message to Belgium’s Jewish and Muslim communities that they are not welcome here. This is a violation of Belgian constitutional principles,  EU law, and the freedom of religion enshrined as a fundamental right - we will challenge it as such, in Wallonia and in Flanders.”

While the law was pending, a regional court had questioned its constitutionality. (See prior posting.)