ROTTERDAM // Jewish and Muslim organisations in the Netherlands in a rare show of unity have condemned the adoption of a law in the Dutch parliament that would ban most ritual slaughter. Representatives of both religious groups have said that they hope to block the law in the senate or challenge its legality on the grounds of freedom of religion.
Many in the Muslim and Jewish communities regard the law, proposed by the small Dutch animal-rights party, as having been passed mainly on the back of growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
The animal rights party leader, Marianne Thieme, said after the vote: "I think the legal sphere still has to get used to the idea that the welfare of animals sometimes limit freedom of religion."
In France, the former film star Brigitte Bardot launched a campaign to ban ritual slaughter in January, and Switzerland, which has a long-standing ban, is considering extending it to meat imports.
Mohammed Cheppih, a founder of the short-lived polder mosque that was aimed at reconciling Islam and Dutch society, said: "This would never have happened, were it not for the current political climate. It says that Muslims are in fact not welcome."
The ban on ritual slaughter without prior stunning may not pose a problem for at least a part of the Muslim community, Mr Cheppih said. "In practical terms it does not mean much but it has symbolic importance."
At least some Islamic groups in Europe accept a form of stunning before the ritual slaughter of animals, although most mainstream organisations reject it. But in orthodox Judaism the prohibition on stunning is absolute. While the ban appears to be primarily aimed at the country's more than 1 million Muslims, it may come as more of a blow to the tiny Dutch orthodox Jewish community.
The Dutch chief rabbi, Binyomin Jacobs, said: "The very fact that there is a discussion about this is very painful for the Jewish community." During the Second World War, Rabi Jacobs said, the Germans' first measure upon occupying the Netherlands was to ban ritual slaughter.
In fact, the existing bans on ritual slaughter in European countries all appear to have been the result of anti-Jewish sentiment at the time. Switzerland passed its ban at the end of the 19th century, when its Jewish population had doubled in a short period, while Norway, Sweden and Luxemburg passed anti-ritual slaughter laws in the 1930s at a time of rising anti-Semitic sentiment.
The ban on ritual slaughter in the Netherlands garnered widespread support in parliament, including backing from left-wing parties. But the support of the extreme right-wing, anti-Islam, Party for Freedom, PVV, led by the controversial politician Geert Wilders, raised most eyebrows.
The PVV and Mr Wilders were seen as backing the ban as a measure against Islam in the Netherlands. At the same time, the party has a reputation as being extremely pro-Israel and pro-Jewish.
Several commentaries in the Dutch press remarked that the PVV's support for the ban on ritual slaughter had "unmasked" its support for the Jewish community as being merely a function of its anti-Islam programme. "The PVV is not pro-Israel because it loves Jews, its fight against anti-Semitism is also based on its anti-Islam agenda," wrote the historian Asher Ben Avraham in the Dutch daily de Volkskrant.
The ban on ritual slaughter comes amid renewed debate on immigrants and Islam in the Netherlands. Last week Mr Wilders was acquitted on charges of incitement to hatred in a trial that was started last year. The court's main conclusion was that he targeted Islam, a religion, rather than Muslims as a group.
On Tuesday, as parliament passed the law against ritual slaughter, the leader of the mainstream Christian Democrats, one of the parties in the minority coalition that depends for its survival on the PVV, seemed to adopt many of Mr Wilders's ideas.
In a speech to a conference on populism, the leader, Maxime Verhagen, called the Dutch concern over immigration "understandable" and "justified" although he said that he disagreed with Mr Wilders's solutions.
Mr Verhagen's party together with smaller Christian parties voted against the ban on ritual slaughter because they regarded it as impinging on the freedom of religion. Several left-wing parties succeeded in amending the law before the vote to allow ritual slaughter without prior stunning if it can be shown that this does not create extra suffering for the animal. But the amendment was widely derided as purely symbolic because of the difficulty in meeting the burden of proof.
fbeiderman@thenational.ae
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
