Hamtramck City Council keeps religious animal sacrifice as both sides sound off
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Should the City of Hamtramck allow residents to sacrifice animals for religious purposes? According to the US Constitution - yes.
One activist called Tuesday night's City Council meeting where an ordinance regarding religious animal sacrifice was to be voted on, "one big waste of time." The city attorney went to the council and said they can't approve the measure because of constitutional stipulations regarding religious liberties. Essentially, it was scrapped.
Residents and community members - mostly of the Muslim faith - spoke out on a newly proposed city measure that would allow for the sacrifice of animals inside the home as part of religious rituals if passed.
City leaders got an earful on both sides of the issue.
"Don’t prevent people from letting them practice their religious freedom," said one resident. "People have been doing it for decades and no harm has been done."
"I am disappointed that the animal slaughter in regards to the animal ordinance is still an issue and being discussed," said another resident.
The proposal, up for a vote, requires anyone wishing to conduct an animal sacrifice for religious purposes to notify the City at least one week prior to the date of the slaughter.
They have to give the exact date and time of the animal sacrifice and must allow the City to inspect the ritual site to make sure the area was cleaned and sanitized properly.
The sacrificer also has to pay a fee to cover the inspection. Violators will face big fines.
"Do you honestly think that the residents are going to contact the City Clerk’s Office to schedule the animal slaughter or that the City has enough manpower to inspect post sacrifices for compliances?" said the female resident.
"I never seen any mess," countered another resident at the podium. "And whoever talking, they have no proof of mess, this is part of our religion, to be clean."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan Chapter voiced their concerns with the measure.
"This proposal will greatly limit religious slaughtering for Muslims and within the Islamic tradition, we slaughter an animal during Eid al-Adha. We typically slaughter a sheep, goat or lamb," said Nour Ali, CAIR Michigan.
Mayor Amer Ghalib says the proposal represents a compromise after getting passionate pleas from both sides, while hoping to avoid a lawsuit.
"We took into consideration the safety, the health precautions," he said. "We came up with regulations for proper waste disposal."
There was discussion of amended language in lieu of the constitutional concerns - but the bottom line is the legal team for the city says these religious rituals can take place under the constitution and under religious liberty - but that does not mean that some of the existing restrictions in terms of disposal, and sanitation, aren't still in effect.
