The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), in cooperation with the General Authority for Food and Drug (FDA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, organized a scientific symposium entitled “Stunning Poultry and Animals before slaughtering them, and its impact on the legitimacy of slaughter” during 14-15 of Dhu al-Qa’dah 1443H corresponding to 13-14 June 2022G in the city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The symposium, in which a significant number of members and experts of the Academy participated with experts and technicians cooperating with the Food and Drug Authority, aimed to discuss the latest developments in stunning methods, especially dazing with electric shock, in the hope of using these developments in reviewing a number of resolutions and recommendations issued by the Academy regarding slaughter in general and on methods of stunning especially. In view of the escalating developments and successive changes that this field is witnessing, the General Secretariat of the Academy decided to hold this symposium in order to keep abreast of those developments and changes, by studying it technically in order to enable the members and experts of the Academy to ascertain the extent of the need to review its previous resolutions. The symposium included an opening session, six scientific sessions, and a closing session.

His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the Academy, member of the Council of Senior Scholars, imam and khatib of the Grand Mosque, gave the opening speech in which he expressed his happiness and pleasure at this fruitful cooperation between the Council and the Academy in this important and sensitive field for Muslims all over the world. His Excellency added: “We always seek in the Academy to provide guidance and directive to companies and institutions working in the field of meat and food in general inside and outside the Muslim world, in order to enable them to abide by the teachings of the Shariah and its provisions related to this sector.” His Excellency Dr. Hisham Bin Saad Al-Jadhey, CEO of the Food and Drug Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, also spoke at the opening session, praising this cooperation between the two institutions: “We are pleased to cooperate through this blessed symposium with the Academy in order to respond to the requirements and needs of national and Gulf companies and institutions that operate in the field of providing halal meat, by reviewing the latest scientific studies and keeping abreast of the most important technical developments and updates that have occurred in this broad sector during the past three decades, and considering and studying them in all their aspects in order to express the correct and appropriate Shariah rulings about them so that these institutions adhere to them .”

For his part, His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the Academy, in his introductory speech at the opening session, expressed his pleasure at this partnership between the Authority and the Academy on a subject of such importance to the masses of Muslims all over the world. His Excellency added: “The previous resolutions and recommendations of the Academy issued in the field of slaughter, and halal food, drink and medicine, are conclusive evidence of the Academy’s keenness as the supreme jurisprudential reference for the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in scientific issues that are concerned with directing and guiding the activities of companies and commercial establishments that operate in the field of food and medicine to comply with the teachings of Shariah. Today, through the sessions of this symposium, we seek to inform the Ummah’s jurists of the new findings and facts reached by contemporary specialists on a number of important substantive issues that may fundamentally affect the formulation of Shariah rulings on the issue of stunning poultry and animals before slaughtering them.”

The Academy issued a final statement of the symposium that included a summary of the symposium sessions, and it will be published soon.

It is worth noting that there is great keenness on the part of the FDA and all the supervisory bodies inside and outside the Muslim world to abide by the resolutions and recommendations of the Academy on the subject of sacrifices and halal issues. This stems from their strong belief that the Academy’s Resolutions are solid and effective and are issued by the scholars and jurists of the Ummah after thorough study, scrutiny and consultation with the scholars and experts specialized in this field.