To ask if a school turning its canteen halal of kosher is them imposing a faith on people

[Souredstones]

I don't know how I feel about this but a Facebook post has really made me think if a school canteen is halal or kosher then isn't it imposing a faith on its pupils? Or is it? I don't know so I defer to the wise ladies of Mumsnet for a decision

I have worked in special schools where there was kosher food, it we as delivered in sealed ready meal containers and heated in labeled microwaves. probably trickier on a larger scale.

OP you have to remember this is mumsnet where it is a constant daily competition between certain posters as to who is the most liberal right on individual so asking a perfectly acceptable question like this will have you jumped on straight away.
I think that no we shouldn't be bending over backwards to accommodate a minority when if if it was the other way around they certainly wouldn't do it for us.

Fucking hell, I don't see the big deal. Everyone can eat Kosher food. If you're Catholic or Jewish or any of the other mainstream religions, it's okay for you to eat Kosher food. Just keeping everyone happy - meat is meat to be honest.

Even as an ardent atheist, this wouldn't be a faith issue for me - who cares what meaningless (to me) prayers were uttered as the animal was killed?

But I'd be very concerned on an animal welfare basis.

I always thought that for a food to be kosher, a rabbi had to come & examine how it's processed to certify it as kosher - I don't understand how that means food is unpalatable. DH worked in a bakery years back & it was certified kosher, but the bread/cakes were exactly the same before & after.

The welfare is the most important to me which is why I'm careful about where I buy etc

But I do not agree with being asked to eat meat that is blessed or whatever since I don't agree with religion impacting on schools unless it is for RE. I guess the school will stop serving pork as well if it's going Halal

To be honest I believe that Halal/kosher meat should be labeled as such in shops, restaurants, fast food places, butchers etc

As a meat eater and a vet I am happy to eat meat and for my children to eat meat. I would be totally happy for my children to eat meat which had come from an animal which has had a prayer said at the point of death. I am not happy for them to eat meat which has been obtained by a method of slaughter which is slower and in my opinion more distressing for the animal than the usual stunning method.

Properly performed stun and stick methods of slaughter are quick and humane and I have spent enough time in slaughterhouses to be reassured of this. Of course poor practice exists in all walks of life, but in my experience most slaughter men are skilled, respectful and professional. I won't knowingly eat meat from animals which have endured religious slaughter.

Halal meat is considerably more expensive than conventionally sourced meat. I would object on those grounds.

It's an electrical stun. It's really important up actually understand this stuff and not just have knee jerk reactions to a process which one isn't actually familiar with.

Certain food needs to be certified as kosher but not veggies and fruit and fish and some other stuff I cant think of right now. I keep a kosher kitchen but dont eat meat as kosher meat costs a fortune (plus all the palaver with meat and dairy separation)
The London Beit Din keeps a list on their website for processed food for the extra-kosherly fussy but I dont eat processed food generally.

Like Heinz baked beans arent kosher but their ketchup is. Who knows why?

Don't agree with Kosher or Halal slaughter processes and yes before anyone asks I have been in a slaughter house and I do kill animals for my family's food. So no Indian takeaways, always check with restaurants and no bloody supermarket chickens.
Ds takes packed lunches as we cannot guarantee that any animal he eats in school is slaughtered in a way our family finds acceptable.
In answer to the AIBU no you are not as the butchering of animals in a certain way is part of the faith so it is imposing on your DC

MrsDeVere - islam is not a race.

Yes..there is no way that anyone non racist would post such tosh on Facebook

I actually do have a problem with this. I do not agree that any animal bred for food should have to die by bleeding to death. It should be quick and painless, I cannot imagine bleeding to death is either of these.

If you don't want to eat Halal meat, I suggest you avoid New Zealand lamb (it's nearly all Halal, I checked with the NZ lamb marketing people last year).

www.hsa.org.uk/Web/electricalstunningdownload.pdf

Boozy this guide explains in a little detail how effective electrical stunning renders animals unconscious.

In the case of cattle it is much more common to stun with a captive bolt gun. Again, in skilled hands this renders animals unconscious instantaneously. I have witnessed it myself on innumerable occasions, and performed it in the past, and it's truly humane. Unlike restraining a distressed animal upside down before slitting its throat and letting it bleed out conscious :(

Yes..he clearly just cares about animal welfare
Not

I do like you MrsDeVere

It's meat - eat it or don't - unless you are being forced to worship no one is imposing any religion on you

If the school serves meat - Muslim or Jewish children have no choice but to eat veggie - if it's Halal or Kosher they have that choice - all other kids have the same choice - I fail to see the big deal