Killing chicken by means of hot water

Q: In the fifth month of 1398 A.H., we heard a Shaykh giving a speech on the radio of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said that he visited some European countries including France where he went to the chicken slaughterhouses and found that the workers there gather living chickens in one room and kill them by pouring boiling water on them. After that they package them and export them to Arab countries, even though they were not slaughtered according to the rulings of Islamic Shari`ah. The Shaykh mentioned that it is unlawful to eat from these chickens, while many people say they are slaughtered according to the rulings of Islamic Shari`ah. Since we listened to this speech we do not eat chicken. Please advise!

A: Killing chickens in the way that was mentioned above does not conform with the rulings of the Shari`ah and therefore it is unlawful to eat from them; because they have the same ruling as dead animals' meat which Allah (Glorified be He) made unlawful by His Saying: Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.