Halal meat

[FairyFluffbum]

This is not supposed to cause conflict but I am genuinely confused as to why it's controversial anymore?

People keep talking about how it's cruel but I know in this country all animals have to be stunned in order to be killed whether they are halal or not.

So what am I missing? Why do people keep boycotting it?

I still don't know why it's objected...

Fairy, I do not want my food to be dictated by a religion, even worst when that religion is not traditionally the one of my country.

What about only finding fish in shops and restaurants on Fridays because of the catholic church. I don't think so.

Just in case anyone cares about the actual facts of kosher slaughter, here is a good explanation: www.shechitauk.org/faq.html The whole point of kosher slaughter is to kill the animals as swiftly and painlessly as possible by severing the vital arteries in the neck with a single clean cut. Stunning can and does go wrong causing horrible pain to the animal. All shochets have to train specially for years and there are even rules on how sharp the knife should be and the precision of the cut to cause the quickest loss of blood to the brain.

I'm with Alice on this

God this is boring, it's been done to death.

People have objections to eating halal for all sorts of reasons, Sikh's can't eat it, many Christians don't want to for animal welfare reasons. Some people don't want to for ideological reasons, in exactly the same way people don't want the Lord's Prayer read to them in a cinema were they don't really want to participate in something which is part of a religion they don't believe in.

If it was labelled it would mean they could abstain if they wished. It would also mean Muslims had greater choice. But of course none of that matters, because the left have decided that any objection to eating halal is blanket raaaaaacism and therefore nobody should be offered the choice. Or they should only be offered the choice of vegetarianism.

Anyway, back to the wind-up of this thread!

^^ What GoldenApples said - meat that is kosher is also sometimes eaten by Muslims if halal is not available, but Jews are not permitted to eat halal meat because kosher slaughter has to happen with one "slice" if you like, whereas meat is still halal if it has taken two goes to slit the animal's throat.

I think Berkshire is also a county where some schools have default halal meat- and much of the unlabelled meat in supermarkets is frequently halal: so we don't always have a choice. It's very difficult in this country to buy kosher meat by accident, mainly because you really have to look hard to find it in the first place.

I believe people ought to be given the choice about whether or not their meat is slaughtered in a religiously accepted manner (is it in Germany that there are still no halal abbatoirs? I know this was the case about 15 years ago, but there is still one European country at least where this is the case - can't remember which, though).

There shouldn't be any choice. There should be independent research to find the most humane way to slaughter the animals and that method should be used across the board. Anyone not happy with whatever method is deemed best can abstain.

Thing is, though, I find it a bit problematic when people talk about animal welfare and slaughter, but ignore the facts of factory farming etc - I just think it's a bit inconsistent. (Not that it's really relevant, but I'm not a meat eater)

I think the truth is most people who eat meat don't really care how its badly the animals are treated. Most people don't buy free range - We want our meat cheap.

The main reason people object to Halal is because its seen as Islamic, and if you are narrow minded enough you will look for any excuse to object to any Muslim practice.

I hate Islam as much as any other religion but even I can see that people are just picking on Muslims. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if animals are killed one way or another, as long as they are killed.

FundraisingPTABitch so when you eat meat don't care how the animal was killed? I'm glad we don't all think like you.

I couldn't care less. It sounds crass but if I had a problem with it I would be vegetarian because ultimately I'm eating a dead animal whatever the method

Thaila

Not really given it much thought. I hope it wasn't humiliated or sexually abused in it's life or suffered other tortures.

But I'm doubtful that people are allowed to be cruel to the animals before they are slaughtered. Or however else they are killed for consumption.

I'm sorry that this matter isn't close to my heart. I worry more about the elderly who may not be able to keep warm this winter; the innocent little refugee children all over this world being subjected to all kinds of atrocities because they are vulnerable.

but please, feel free to compare and judge what pulls on my heartstrings.

I have a relative who works in the food chain who said he would rather eat halal/kosher as the respect given to the animal before and during slaughter is much greater than traditional abattoir slaughter. Things like the animal has to be fed beforehand, (usually food is withheld as it makes the cleaning up process easier) is not allowed to see the knife, is not allowed to witness another animal being slaughtered etc. I do wonder what these people think happens in a slaughter house? No one is singing lullaby's to the "lucky" non halal/kosher animals!

I do wonder what these people think happens in a slaughter house?
Does anyone remember that programme on BBC3 'Kill it, Cook it. Eat it'? They went through the slaughter process live on air, then cooked it and fed it to the audience. The hysterics and tears from some of the audience. Some people genuinely believe that non-halal meat comes from animals that have been frolicking on a rainbow and yes as dolkapots says wiith lullaby's sung to them.

OfaFrenchmind - stop talking shit, halal meat does not 'fund an imam'

Halal butchers run a business to make money for themselves, just like any other butcher.

I wouldn't be surprised if you are one of those that condemns halal meat but eats curry when you get the chance.

OfaFrenchmind couldn't have possibly meant 'halal meat funds an imam'

If you don't know it feels like you have been cheated a bit like horse meat labelled as beef. I want to know if prayers of a religion said over my meat. I don't follow an organised religion, I don't like being cheated.

So long as the animal is killed humanely, I don't care if someone says a prayer to an imaginary friend over it, or a Jedi Warrior chant.
Doesn't affect the animal and doesn't affect me.

I'm an omnivore, but I do care how the animal is treated before the slaughterhouse and I choose free range, organic, grass fed etc regardless of cost - however, I don't have any worries about my food budget, so that's not particularly virtuous.

howtorebuild

What if the butcher is screaming swear words directed to his wife while slaughtering the animals, would you want to know then?

How bout if he was repeating one of Hitlers famous speeches, would it matter?

What if there were loud speakers blaring a number 1 pop chart single? Still feel cheated?

If meat has been prayed over it should be labelled as such. I don't think there is provision for swearing and the other examples you describe.

I think all meat should be labelled with a graphic description of how the animal was killed, halal or not.

(I'm a meat eater FTR)

howtorebuild what possible difference can it make whether the meat has been prayed over (any religion?) or sung over/sworn over/laughed over/cried over? It has zero effect on the meat.

Gruntfuttock, you could equally apply exactly the same logic to Muslims wanting to eat halal. So it's grossly unfair to think that it's okay for one group of people to have their beliefs catered to when 'it makes no difference to the meat', but tell other people it's all nonsense and they should just eat anything.

If it makes a difference to people based on their beliefs or even lack of them, why shouldn't they be allowed to make an informed choice? Why is it acceptable for one person to choose what they want to eat based on their beliefs but not another.

Unless basically what it boils down to is the leftist hierarchy where the belief, wants and needs of Muslims trump everybody else's. Which I suspect it is.

It has zero effect on the meat.

To you maybe.

It has zero effect on the meat.

To you maybe.

to everyone