to be very suprised at the school letter about Halal meat?

[fromparistoberlin]

opended DS bag and read a letter with a voting slip basically saying

alot of parents have asked for Halal meat (fair enough)
The school dinner providers can only do Halal OR non-Halal (erm we are in London, slightly surpised)

so we either vote for ALL Halal, or non Halal

so basically an ethical dilemna!

Vote A, feel like a bigot

Vote B, feel slightly uncomfortable that something I dont really fully understand is being imposed

I am going to write and say this is a really unfair way to handle it and they should fucking change suppliers, we are in London FFS

nice little ethical mind fuck THANKS school!

[Jan49]

I think they really ought to offer all 3 options: non-Halal meat, Halal meat and vegetarian. That covers all the choices. If it costs more then parents have to pay more if they want their children to have school dinners rather than packed lunches.

I'm vegetarian but wouldn't really expect the school to provide nothing but vegetarian options. I bet lots of parents would object. LOL at the person who posted that some under 5's aren't developed enough to eat a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet is fine from babyhood. Also in a primary school most children are 5 and over.

[CheeseAndMushroomToastie]

This is quite unfair on anyone at the school from the Sikh religion, as they are forbidden to eat halal meat because of the way the animals are slaughtered... Are Muslim children a majority at the school?

[TheRealFellatio]

In this instance I would go with the majority need and anyone who had an ethical/religious issue with eating the food could opt for the vegetarian choice or bring a packed lunch. I think it's unreasonable to expect the caterer to cater for halal, kosher, non-halal meat and vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free, vegan or whatever else is the current need du jour - it's hard enough to make school lunches cost effective as it is.

[cherryade8]

Halal meat is very cruel and no way would my child eat it. I also boycott any restaurant serving halal meat. How it is allowed in this country where there are supposedlying minimum 'standards' for humanely slaughtering animals I don't know, I assume the government don't want to offend religious groups.

[TheRealFellatio]

But cheese there may be no-one from the Sikr religion at that school, and even if there were, unless they made up a significant minority it would just not be feasible to cater specifically for them.

I would be tempted to say 'no halal here, if you don't like it eat veggie or bring your own' but if the vast majority in a school are muslim then that seems a bit daft, however much I might like the sound of the principle.

[LouiseSmith]

I personally think that they should leave it as it is. and the parents who are unhappy with the choice of food at the school can provide a packed lunch.

I for one know my son wouldn't eat Halal meat, or a vegetarian option. I feel for the school but unfortunately there going to upset one or more ethnic group with this one.

[williaminajetfighter]

Yuck. I find it pretty grim that British catering is increasingly moving to a less ethical way of killing animals to keep a minority of the population happy. Slicing their throat and hanging the animals til they bleed out. Lovely.

On the other hand you're eating meat so know what you're getting yourself into.

Frankly I'd encourage your kids to go veggie at lunch and serve nest for their dinner. We eat too much meat anyway so this is probably a healthier option and your DC can get to avoid the Halal meat at the same time.

[williaminajetfighter]

...sorry I meant 'serve meat at dinner'

[likeitorlumpit]

pander to this and you will get all sorts of other demands !

[grimbletart]

All of this discussion just confirms my view that (all) religion is a total pain in the arse.

[cherryade8]

Try this link for information:

www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2009/12/08/the-cruelty-behind-muslim-ritual-slaughter.aspx

Then make your mind up.

[Spikeytree]

This is a big issue where I live at the moment as the Lancashire Council of Mosques is claiming that the Halal meat supplied to Lancashire schools is not Halal, because it has been stunned here

Personally I'm a vegetarian.

[TheRealFellatio]

Unless the majority of non-muslims are prepared to educate themselves about the ethics of how animals are slaughtered for food, and are prepared to take a stand against halal/kosher meat (either on religious grounds or ethical principle), then halal food will pretty soon be the norm outside the home, and certainly in the public sector. If you say nothing then people will assume you do not care either way. It can always be argued that the majority should be catered for, so if you are in the religious majority at your school/place of work/hospital then you have to make sure that people know what you will accept and will not accept - apathy gets you nowhere, and the group making the biggest fuss will get their way.

[SPsYoniTheOneAndOnly]

I thought Halal meat was just blessed meat

I dont care. I get halal when order from take aways or go to restaurants. I dont see the issue as animals are killed to be eaten.

[TheRealFellatio]

the method of slaughter is completely different and some would argue that it is much less humane/ethical. Then again, fans of halal and kidher would tell you you are wrong and that it is misunderstood.

You have to find out about it and make up your own mind, and campaign against if necessary, or just shut up and eat it. Halal is the way things are going in the UK whether you like it or not. Large takeaway chains will do whatever they think makes them the most money. If Muslim customers avoid them for having non-halal they will switch to halal, because at the moment most non-mulsims do not care or know either way. The only thing that would make them switch back were if a good proportion of their non-muslim customer base (which I will assume is still the majority in most areas of the UK ) started to boycott halal meat for ethical reasons.

[TheRealFellatio]

kidher? That should say kosher

[samandi]

Why on earth would choosing non-halal meat make anyone feel like a bigot?

[Cloverer]

I don't see how halal meat is an animal welfare concern at all, ridiculous.

[samandi]

I don't see how halal meat is an animal welfare concern at all, ridiculous.

How on earth is it NOT an animal welfare concern?

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

All of this discussion just confirms my view that (all) religion is a total pain in the arse

I think I'm beginning to feel like that myself.

[hackmum]

Someone needs to inform the school that Sikhs are forbidden from eating halal meat. If they don't know that, they're going to find themselves in more of a pickle down the line.

[internalship]

Non halel. Animal welfare trumps believing in fairies.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

Yuck. I find it pretty grim that British catering is increasingly moving to a less ethical way of killing animals to keep a minority of the population happy. Slicing their throat and hanging the animals til they bleed out. Lovely

Couldn't agree more.

[DontmindifIdo]

I'd vote non-halel and state on the form it's for animal welfare reasons.