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Global perspectives – the Middle East: EgyptH. Aidaros

Professor of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, 5, Mossadak St. 12311, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

SummaryThe Middle East region is characterised by the grouping of 20 countries withsimilar cultural traditions and religious concepts. The majority of the populationof this region follows the religion of Islam, which considers all animals asimportant as humans, and others follow Christianity and Judaism. The majority ofpeople dealing with animals have their own religious concepts, but mostcountries have no clear enforced official animal welfare regulations.Animal welfare activities in the Middle East region, as in Egypt for example, arecarried out by various individuals, non-governmental organisations and theofficial Veterinary Services.The slaughter of animals for human consumption is in accordance with Islamicrites, which is the least painful method for the animals. Extensive productionsystems are the predominant systems in the region, and it is not common foranimals in the region to suffer stress during production processes or slaughter.Although some success has been achieved in the area of animal welfare, asseen in improvements in health care, the development of modern abattoirs withproper facilities, and the establishment of policies for combating stray dogs,there are still major constraints to the implementation of effective animal welfaremeasures, including those for wildlife. These constraints include the lack offinances and the absence of effective legislative measures to prevent thetrapping and/or hunting of wild animals for pleasure or illegal trade.

KeywordsAnimal welfare – Halal slaughter – Islam – Stray dog – Veterinary.

IntroductionThe Middle East region includes Afghanistan, Bahrain,Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Israel,Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. This groupof 20 countries have more or less the same culturaltraditions and religious concepts as well as similargeographical and climatic conditions.

The majority of the population of this region follows thereligion of Islam and others follow Christianity andJudaism. Although there are several religious and socialregulations for animal welfare, most countries have noclear enforced official regulations and activities in thisrespect. Consequently, this paper focuses on Egypt, as it isthe first country in the Middle East region to enforceregulations concerning animal welfare.

For a long time, until recently, the majority of the farmanimal owners in the Middle East region, especially inEgypt, were smallholders with one to five animals. Animalhusbandry is a major activity for all Egyptian families inrural areas. Cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats are reared withgreat care on the farm and within the rural household.There are a limited number of modern large farms in theregion. Smallholders own more than 70% of the totalanimal population in the region.

This system of rearing leads to close association betweenthe farmers and their animals. In addition, the farmersshow respect, care and kindness for all the animals withwhich they share their lives.

The area of land that is desert in the Middle East region ishigher than that which is cultivated and inhabited;therefore, the establishment of large modern farms forsemi-intensive or intensive production systems is rare

(except in poultry production, where it is widelypractised). The quality of animal welfare is inverselyproportional with the shift towards intensive productionsystems; consequently, because most animal production inthe Middle East takes place on smallholdings, it is notcommon for animals in the region to suffer stress.

Extensive production systems predominate in the region,where smallholders constitute the majority of animalowners and the production of milk does not exceedbetween 1 and 6 kg/day.

The economic income of the smallholders depends mainlyon the production of their own animals, therefore they putevery effort into maintaining their animals in what theybelieve to be the optimum conditions for obtainingmaximum production levels.

Animal welfare issuesThe main problems that face animal welfare in the MiddleEast region are as follows:

– lack of finance for the establishment of modernabattoirs with the proper handling facilities; the lack ofthese facilities leads to aggressive handling of animals bybutchers or attendants to control animals before slaughter

– lack of suitable vehicles for transportation and facilitiesfor loading and unloading animals

– primitive methods for combating the stray dogpopulation due to lack of finances; occasional contributionis made by local and international non-governmentalorganisations (NGOs) towards these activities, but it is notenough, and this situation hinders the long-termapplication of spay and neuter programmes

– absence of effective legislative measures to prevent thetrapping and/or hunting of wild animals for pleasure orillegal trade.

Ethical regulations for animalwelfareAll traditional religions in the region include instructionsto treat animals with care. Because Islam is thepredominant religion in the Middle East, regulations ineach country are based on the Islamic religiousinstructions. Islam considers all animals as important ashumans and this is clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran.

El Azhar El Sharef, the largest organisation in the MiddleEast region dealing with Muslim affairs, established ananimal welfare centre five years ago to expand animal

welfare awareness and to support the crucial and positivesteps taken by governments or animal welfare societiestowards developing guidelines on animal welfare.

The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him[pbuh]) of Islam spoke about the welfare of animals and some of these sayings (Hadiths) are worth noting here(4, 6):

– the Prophet (pbuh) not only preached that peopleshould show kindness to one another, but also to all livingcreatures. He forbade the practice of cutting the tails andmanes of horses, branding animals at any soft spot andkeeping horses unnecessarily saddled

– when the Prophet (pbuh) saw any animal over-burdened or ill-fed he would pull up alongside the ownerand say ‘fear God in your treatment of animals’

– a companion to the Prophet (pbuh) came to himcarrying baby chicks in his clothing and mentioned thatthe mother bird had hovered over them ever since he hadtaken the chicks. He was directed to return the chicks backto the bush from where they were taken

– during a journey, a person travelling with the Prophet(pbuh) gathered some bird’s eggs from the nest. Themother bird’s painful cries and commotion attracted theattention of the Prophet (pbuh) who asked the man toreturn the eggs to the nest

– the Prophet (pbuh) forbade people from capturing babybirds, burning ant hills and cruelly whipping animals. Hestopped the people from doing these things for fun. TheProphet (pbuh) pointed out that it was not fun for theanimals

– on being told about a woman who starved her pet cat todeath the Prophet (pbuh) said that ‘she would betormented by that cat on judgment day by way of revenge’

– the Prophet (pbuh) said that any part cut off a livinganimal is dead flesh and is unlawful to eat. The implicationof this is that living animals must not be mutilated

– the Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘if a person unjustly kills asparrow or even a smaller bird (for other than food) he willbe held responsible for it. No person is allowed to kill ananimal for the sake of fun or game’

– the Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘show kindness and give goodtreatment to an animal’. He praised a man who offeredwater to a thirsty dog and said that a person would bepunished if he did not feed and water an animal or let itfree so it could feed itself

– the Prophet (pbuh) forbade shooting arrows at anyanimal that is tied or held up and also forbade hitting ormarking the animal on its face.

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It is also worth noting that El Azhar El Sharef has declaredbullfighting a sinful activity. It also recognised thatattending or encouraging this sport was sinful, and bannedeating the meat of these bulls as they were not killedaccording to Islamic rites.

In addition to the national regulations for animal welfare (ifpresent) in countries in the Middle East, the majority ofpeople dealing with animals have their own religiousconcepts which require that animals be treated withkindness in all aspects of life such as housing, feeding,treatment and work.

Official decrees relevant toanimal welfare in EgyptDecree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 27 (1967)This decree enforces concern for animal welfare byprohibiting the following activities (1):

– animals intended for riding and draught purposeshould not be overloaded. The load should be compatibleto the age and condition of the animals. Use of sick orinjured animals for work is prohibited

– torture or imprisonment of animals and improperfeeding, watering and ventilation is prohibited

– using animals for fighting and entertainment isprohibited

– tethering and shooting animals is prohibited

– compelling animals to perform specific acts byfrightening or torturing them is also prohibited

– compelling the animals to eat or drink beyond theircapacity for fattening for food is prohibited

– using animals that are unfit for work by frightening ortorturing them is prohibited

– hitting animals on the head with a wooden or metalimplement, cutting the tendons or removing the eyes priorto slaughter are prohibited.

Decree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 45 (1967)This decree concerns animal slaughter and the meat tradeand states that precautions should be taken whentransporting animals to the abattoir or slaughtering pointto avoid any accident to animals on the road or in theabattoir. The animals should be secured well so that theirwelfare is ensured (1).

Slaughtering of animals forhuman consumptionThe Islamic method of slaughtering (Halal method) is theleast painful method of slaughter and it is not a traumaticexperience for the animals. In order for the slaughtering tobe lawful, several measures must be taken by the oneperforming the slaughter. This is to ensure the highestbenefit to both the animal and the consumer. In thisregard, the Prophet of Islam said, ‘God has prescribed themost suitable way of doing every thing …do it well, whenyou slaughter an animal for sacrifice, you should sharpenyour knife, give comfort to the animal, slaughter it in sucha way that its life departs quickly and it is not left to sufferfor a long time’.

There are two methods of Halal slaughter. The first of theseis Dabh, which involves severing the trachea, oesophagusand jugular veins of the animal. This method is used forsheep, goats, cows and buffaloes. The other method, Nahr,involves cutting the blood vessels at the base of the neck.This method is used for camels and also for cows andbuffaloes.

Animals permitted for consumption are:

– all cloven-footed animals

– poultry and other birds

– fish

– locust, crustacean, molluscs and other sea food.

Halal slaughter prescribes several measures for the welfareof animals, as follows:

a) before slaughtering

– pre-slaughter rest

– animals should be well fed and well looked after.Animals should not be starved at the point of slaughter

– no animal should be slaughtered in front of anotheranimal. Separation between the lair and slaughter area isrecommended to ensure that animals awaiting slaughter donot see other animals being bled

– the knife should not be sharpened in front of the animal

b) slaughtering technique

– the slaughtering knife should be sharpened beforeslaughtering

– the knife must not be depressed down vertically butdrawn horizontally across the neck

– the cut should not be close to the chest or too near thehead and should be a clean cut without laceration ortearing of tissues

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– camels must be slaughtered as quickly as possible withthe knife under the base of the neck

– slaughtering of birds, sheep, goats, buffalo and cattleshould be done by cutting the trachea, the oesophagus andjugular vein without severing the head from the body

– the person slaughtering the animals should hold theknife in the right hand and the left hand should be used tohold the animal’s head and restrain the animal

– slaughtering must be performed in one single cut, i.e.cutting should be continuous, uninterrupted andaccomplished before the knife is withdrawn

– repeating the cutting process is forbidden whenslaughtering

c) after slaughter

– slaughtered animals should be provided with enoughtime to bleed completely

– further preparation and dressing of the carcass must bedelayed until all signs of life and cerebral reflex havedisappeared.

Violating any of these instructions and recommendedprocedures leads to the slaughter being rendered non-Halal.

Islam prohibits the consumption of:

– pork

– strangled animals

– animals devoured by wild beasts

– blood

– carrion

– fatally beaten animals

– horn-butted animals

– animals sacrificed to idols

– animals slaughtered by people other than people of thescriptures (Christians and Jews)

– animals dedicated to other than God.

Efficacy of Halal slaughterAn experiment was conducted by Professor Schultz and Dr Hazim (7) of Hanover University in Germany, using anelectro-encephalograph (EEG) and an electrocardiogram(ECG) to demonstrate that Islamic slaughter was a veryhumane method of slaughter. The results of the experimenthave surprised many people.

The experiment involved several electrodes which weresurgically implanted at various points of the skull of eachanimal used in the experiment, touching the surface of the

brain. The animals were allowed to recover from thissurgery. One group of animals was slaughtered by the Halalmethod and the second by using a captive bolt. During theexperiment, EEG and ECG measurements were performedon all animals to record the condition of the brain andheart during the course of slaughter.

This experiment concluded that:

– during the first 3 s of Islamic slaughter the EEG did notshow any change in brain activity, thus indicating that theanimal did not feel any pain during or immediately afterthe incision

– 3 s later the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep:unconsciousness. This is due to a large quantity of bloodgushing out from the body

– after the above-mentioned 6 s, the EEG recorded nobrain activity, indicating that the animal was feeling nopain at all

– as the brain messages dropped to zero level, the heartwas still beating and the body convulsing vigorously (areflex action of the spinal cord) driving maximum bloodfrom the body, resulting in hygienic meat for the consumer.

Compliance with animal welfare in Halal slaughterThe swift cutting of the vessels of the neck during Halalslaughter causes ischemia of the brain and makes theanimal insensitive to pain. This method results in the rapidgush of blood which drains out from the animal’s body. Ifthe spinal cord is cut, the nerve fibres to the heart might bedamaged, leading to cardiac arrest and stagnation of bloodin the blood vessels. Bleeding ensures that the meat is ofgood quality.

Animal welfare activities in theMiddle EastAnimal welfare activities in the Middle East region arecarried out by various individuals, NGOs and the officialVeterinary Services. The outcomes of these efforts are notwell-known because of the lack of coordination betweenthese organisations. Due to the lack of published and/orofficial data about animal welfare issues in Middle Eastcountries, data from Egypt has been used here as anexample for the Middle East region.

From 1990 onwards the number of veterinary clinicsstarted to increase and a new system for the developmentof abattoir facilities was implemented, but before that timeanimal welfare activities in Egypt were limited to healthcare, treatment, vaccination, feeding and housing; there

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was little animal welfare regulation in the areas oftransportation and pre-slaughter. The lack of ruralabattoirs and veterinary services meant that animals had totrek long distances for slaughter and for veterinary aid.Similarly, the lack of efficient animal control equipmentforced some butchers to push animals onto the slaughterplatform by prodding them with sharp objects, strikingthem or cutting the Achilles tendon. The previous methodsfor combating stray dogs and cats were poisoning withstrychnine sulphate or shooting. Though these methodswere usually unacceptable to the National Animal WelfareSociety, lack of finances and expertise to enforce othermethods, such as neutering and humane killing, hinderedthe replacement of these methods.

Veterinary treatmentAt present there is a very efficient animal health system inpractice in Egypt. There are about 1,500 officialGovernment veterinary clinics distributed all over thecountry. These clinics play an important role in the rapidintervention and treatment of diseased animals and are avital component in the early warning system. Anthelmintictreatment for parasites and mandatory vaccinations againstfoot and mouth disease, Rift Valley fever, lumpy skin disease and haemorrhagic septicaemia are providedfree of charge.

The Egyptian veterinary hospital is one of the oldestveterinary establishments in the region and it is one of themajor veterinary hospitals for companion animals andequines. A new department has been established forboarding animals, especially companion animals andequines, when their owners go away. All requirements ofanimal welfare including housing, feeding, watering andmedical supervision are taken care of in this establishment.

The National Veterinary Services are also responsible forthe registration of national and private zoos. To ensure thatanimal welfare standards are maintained, the registrationinstructions require the presence of suitable space,environment and shelter according to the type and numberof animals.

Stray dog controlThe Egyptian Veterinary Services established a pilot projectfor the control of the stray dog population with the help ofthe World Society for the Protection of Animals (2). Theaim of the project was to set up a demonstration dogpopulation birth control programme in the district of Gizawithin the Cairo Metropolis. The objectives of theprogramme were as follows:

– to catch and sterilise the animals and then return themto the place from where they were taken

– to screen the health of the sterilised dogs and vaccinatethem against rabies, thereby reducing the threat ofzoonoses

– to humanely euthanize terminally sick dogs.

This pilot project has demonstrated that the sterilisation ofdogs has considerably reduced the stray dog population ofthe Giza district and it is hoped that the other districts willconsider the programme as a means of controlling the dogpopulation in their areas (3).

Recent improvements in animalwelfareAs Egypt imports large numbers of livestock fromAustralia, it is working closely with Australia to improveanimal welfare in Egypt. Livestock handling facilities inports, feedlots and abattoirs have been upgraded withspecial advice as regards animal handling, training and training programmes organised by the EgyptianVeterinary Services.

There has been considerable improvement in the standardsof animal welfare at slaughterhouses (5). The Basateenabattoir in Cairo has been upgraded with the help andassistance of Australia. This has included a major overhaulof one slaughter-hall – including upgrades to flooring andthe electric and water networks, plus the installation of aritual casting pen to restrain cattle for slaughter (Fig. 1a).Improved livestock delivery facilities have been designedand modified to bring animals from arrival trucks, throughthe quarantine pens and up to the slaughter-hall in lessstressful conditions than previously experienced (Fig. 1b).Modern livestock handling facilities and abattoirs have alsobeen developed with special advice, training programmesand general veterinary support from GovernmentVeterinary Services to train animal handlers and butchers.As a result of the ongoing collaboration with Australia, theslaughter hall will shortly incorporate improved practicesof animal handling, meat production and food hygiene toestablish a benchmark of standards to be adopted in thewhole country.

Egyptian ports have been improved to handle the largenumber of animals that arrive on vessels, e.g. specialhandling equipment has been introduced.

Feedlots with modern handling facilities have beenconstructed for imported stock. Specialist advice has beenprovided to assist with health measures and to improvefeeding practices using local feedstuffs in a veryeconomical way.

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Future activitiesIn addition to the continuing improvement of currentanimal welfare activities, attention will be directed towardsraising public awareness of animal welfare with the help ofnational, regional and international animal welfaresocieties. Upgrading animal welfare measures in zoos is a priority.

The illegal wildlife trade is often encountered in the MiddleEast region and many cases violating the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)involving live wild animals and wildlife products havebeen encountered. The Veterinary Services in the regionare regularly addressing the problems by securing therelease of captive live animals and rehabilitating them intheir natural habitat as well as confiscating stuffed wildanimals (taxidermy) and prosecuting the offenders. Bothgovernment and non-governmental animal welfareorganisations are taking action to increase publicunderstanding of CITES regulations and raise awareness toprevent hunting and killing for trade. Similarly, existingzoos are being modernised to shift the animals from cagesto open parks to minimise animal suffering. As always,financial constraints are a major source of concern foranimal welfare in these cases.

The General Organization for Veterinary Services in Egypthas undertaken a National Project of Registration andIdentification of Cattle and Buffaloes. The first phase hasalready been completed in the districts of Sharkia, Beheraand Menofia. The second phase will be implemented in sixother districts, namely, Giza, Cairo, Kaliubia, Dakahlia,Kafr Elsheikh and Gharbia. At the end of this project, onlyidentified animals will be allowed to be transported forslaughter through other farming areas or territories inapproved vehicles to ensure that all animal welfareregulations are strictly adhered to.

The role of non-governmentalanimal welfare organisationsThere are several non-governmental animal welfareorganisations in the region, mainly situated in the NorthAfrican and Mediterranean parts of the Middle East region.These organisations focus their activities on companionanimals and wildlife. They establish shelters, undertakespaying, neutering and re-homing programmes and raisepublic awareness through the websites on the Internet.Close cooperation exists between the national VeterinaryServices and these animal welfare organisations.

In Egypt, there are 13 animal welfare organisationspresently registered, besides a number of environmentalsocieties. The main mission of the animal welfareorganisations is to increase public awareness of animalwelfare issues for all animals in Egypt, and to helpabandoned and stray animals. Their activities include:

– the establishment of shelters that cater for adoption,especially for cats

– the establishment of resting places with wateringfacilities for equines in various regions

– the publication of booklets on animal welfare, includinganimal care.

The NGOs are presently in the process of establishing aCouncil of Animal Welfare in Egypt in order to combinetheir efforts to increase awareness on animal welfare issues.

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a) casting pen for restraining cattle b) improved unloading gates

Fig. 1Facilities at the Basateen abattoir in Cairo

H. Aidaros

ResumenLa región de Oriente Medio corresponde al agrupamiento de 20 países queguardan más o menos similitud desde el punto de vista de su tradición cultural eidiosincrasia religiosa. La población es mayoritariamente musulmana, credo queotorga a todos los animales tanta importancia como el ser humano, aunquetambién hay sectores que profesan el cristianismo o el judaísmo. La mayoría delas personas que tratan con animales tienen sus propias concepcionesreligiosas, pero casi ningún país está aplicando normas oficiales claras enmateria de bienestar animal.Las actividades de protección de los animales en la región de Oriente Medio, porejemplo en Egipto, corren a cargo de personas físicas, organizaciones nogubernamentales y Servicios Veterinarios oficiales.El sacrificio de animales para el consumo humano se realiza con arreglo a losritos islámicos, y representa el método menos doloroso para el animal. En la

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Perspectives mondiales – Moyen-Orient : ÉgypteH. Aidaros

RésuméLa région du Moyen-Orient est constituée par 20 pays caractérisés par destraditions culturelles et des concepts religieux plus ou moins semblables. Lamajeure partie des habitants de cette région suivent la religion de l’Islam, quiconsidère que tous les animaux sont aussi importants que les humains, etd’autres sont des adeptes du christianisme ou du judaïsme. La majorité despersonnes qui s’occupent d’animaux ont leurs propres concepts religieux, dansdes pays qui, pour la plupart, n’ont pas mis en place de réglementationsofficielles claires relatives au bien-être animal.Les activités liées au bien-être animal dans la région du Moyen-Orient,notamment en Égypte, sont menées par des individus, des organisations nongouvernementales et par les Services vétérinaires officiels.L’abattage des animaux destinés à la consommation humaine est réalisé selonles rites islamiques, qui constitue la méthode la moins douloureuse pour lesanimaux. Les systèmes de production extensive sont prédominants dans larégion et il est rare que les animaux soient soumis au stress pendant leprocessus de production ou l’abattage.Des progrès ont été réalisés dans le domaine du bien-être animal, comme entémoignent l’amélioration des soins de santé, la création d’abattoirs modernes etbien équipés, et l’élaboration de politiques visant à éliminer les chiens errants.Toutefois, l’application de mesures efficaces en faveur du bien-être desanimaux, y compris de la faune sauvage, se heurte encore à d’importantsobstacles, notamment au manque de ressources financières et à l’absence demesures réglementaires efficientes visant à empêcher le piégeage et/ou lachasse des animaux sauvages en tant qu’activités de loisirs ou à des fins decommerce illicite.

Mots-clésAbattage halal – Bien-être animal – Chien errant – Islam – Vétérinaire.

Perspectivas mundiales – Oriente Medio: Egipto

References1. Anon. (1967). – Annexes to the Egyptian Law of Agriculture

No. 53/1966. Egyptian off. Gazette (El Wakkea El Masrya)1967.

2. Anon. (2001). – Memorandum of understanding between theEgyptian Government’s General Organization for VeterinaryServices and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.General Organization for Veterinary Services, Giza.

3. Anon. (2004). – Animal friends newsletter, March issue.Egyptian Society of Animal Friends, Cairo.

4. El Boukhary M.B.-I. (1981). – Saheh El Boukhary. Dar AlFikr, Damascus.

5. El-Nawawi F.A., El Meslamy S.M., Sdeek M.Z. & Nomaan T.M. (1997). – Meat hygiene and control. Text Bookof the Hygienic Meat and Meat Products Control Department,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo.

6. Muslim A. (2005). – Saheh Muslim. Dar al Kotob Al Ilmaya,Beirut, 851 pp.

7. Schultz & Hazim (1998). – Islamic slaughter is the humanemethod of slaughter. Islamic Voice, 12 (5), 137.

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región predominan los sistemas de producción extensiva, por lo que el ganadono suele sufrir estrés durante los procesos productivos o de sacrificio.Pese a ciertos éxitos en el terreno del bienestar animal, (como demuestran lasmejoras en la atención zoosanitaria, la creación de mataderos modernos coninstalaciones adecuadas o la institución de programas de lucha contra losperros callejeros), subsisten grandes dificultades para poner en marchaacciones eficaces en la materia, entre otras las destinadas a la fauna salvaje.Entre los principales obstáculos cabe citar la falta de fondos y la ausencia demedidas legislativas para impedir la caza de animales salvajes, ya sea contrampas o armas de fuego, con fines de ocio o comercio ilegal.

Palabras claveBienestar animal – Islam – Perro callejero – Sacrificio Halal – Veterinaria.