To refuse eating or buying anything halal?

[ClaryIsTheBest]

Is somebody unreasonable to refuse to buy or eat anything halal?

I'm not sure. I mean, everybody gets to choose what they want to eat (or not eat). But still...

I am vegetarian and also Jewish, for the rest of the family I choose organic meat. For me, the quality of life of the animal has more importance than the method of slaughter.

Right. We're going to a vegetarian restaurant. Although I do have a hankering for matzeknödl. An other day, I guess. or I'll just make them myself.

Thank you for the many polite and informative answers.

I guess it's a topic we'll have to talk about until we live in some sort of tolerant utopia. Sigh.

Halal doesn't only apply to meat, it just means permitted. Bananas are halal but I don't suppose this is what the OP means.

Haha, that was exactly my point with the link upthread, glamorous. Vegetarian food will mostly be halal (alcohol excepted).

Desolate

Of course it seems like madness to you. You're an atheist. Just as an example, for Christians it's advisable to steer clear from food "blessed" by what they would deem as false god.

Interesting how there is always someone trying to turn an issue on the Jews...

Probably because school districts and hospitals and 90% of takeaways don't serve Kosher

I think people should just eat what they want and let others do the same. I don't feel the need to justify why I eat halal. And I don't need to know the reasons why others would choose non halal meat. Just eat what you want. It's no one else's business what you do or don't eat.

Yanbu.

If halal just means permitted, then why do they need to mark it all over meat. Surely Muslims know what food is and isn't allowed to be consumed. I don't see halal written all over a pack of nuts, yoghurts or a box of eggs. Strange that.

Auntyhiro

Sorry. That wasn't my intention, at all.

Mumto. When it comes to meat it is only halal or permitted if the animal has been treated fairly. Been blessed with a prayer and cut and drained. Regardless of stunned or not.

We wouldn't know if these things had happened if it didn't say halal. And check your hovis bread if you have any. That says halal....

I will never knowingly buy halal or kosher meat and only buy free range/organic, so rarely buy it from a supermarket. I don't wish to be told by vegan zealots to stop eating meat, I've cut down on quantity to ensure quality and will continue to enjoy it.

I love that Muslims can say that they'll only eat halal meat, or they'll eat a vegatarian option.

But if a non-Muslim says that they only eat non-halal or will take the vegetarian option suddenly they're bigoted?

I am not Muslim, but do conduct Halal audits as part of my job. In the UK most beef is not Halal because of the practicality of slaughtering a large animal without pre-stun. Lamb is mainly Halal slaughtered with the required amount of carcasses stamped up. Chicken can be either or. There is only one mainstream Halal certificate that doesn't allow pre-stun in the UK. A lot of chicken products such as sandwiches will contain imported Halal chicken from ( mainly) Thailand. This is pre-stuned. Most New Zealand lamb is Halal, regardless of how it is labeled. The "sacred blade" with prayer inscribed, or the playing of the prayer over load speakers is not accepted by many Muslims, but I believe is common in New Zealand. If your meat is from a mainstream source, it is highly unlikely that it has been subjected to welfare standards outside the norm for this country.

Weeds good to hear from an expert!

Have I understood correctly? I think you've said most beef isn't halal because of the practicality of killing such a large animal which isn't stunned. Implying it isn't halal if it's stunned. But you've said that halal chicken is stunned.

Genuinely interested, not trying to be goady.

Pluto my take on it is that the vast majority of people who are concerned about eating halal meat don't really understand what it is (that the majority they are likely to eat is stunned, so the only difference is the loud speakers) and that they also don't seem to care about animal welfare at any other time. So the implication is that they are getting upset because it's forrin.

I would not eat or serve halal or kosher meat. If I had guests who wanted it I'd serve vegetarian or vegan food. It seems a good compromise and unlikely to offend anyone.

I understand how animals are slaughtered and that it's very often unsatisfactory from a welfare point of view whether it's religious slaughter/non-religious slaughter, both in the UK and elsewhere.

I am one of those annoying 'almost vegetarians' - I very rarely eat animal products but I do sometimes eat both meat and/or dairy. Animal welfare concerns me greatly and from a moral point of view I am increasingly uncomfortable with farming methods and the reality of the slaughter process. I guess I'm shuffling towards vegan.

It is incomprehensible to me that a person's religious beliefs would take precedence over animal welfare - in fact, that religion would have any influence at all when it involves suffering. Utterly ridiculous.

Has anyone read anything that I wrote....?

Muslims don't care if non Muslims eat halal or not. Maybe a few but they are rare.

And the animals have to be treated kindly prior to the death otherwise it will not be halal. It's not just about the prayer but fair treatment of the animal.

I know because I am muslim and we have a friend who is in this business.

But hey that's fine ignore me and my comment as it is clearly irrelevant.

People need to research properly before making comments and judgements. And the daily mail is not a worthy source.

Has anyone actually asked a Muslim butcher or muslim friend or visited a slaughter house? If you are all so concerned go and find out properly instead of sitting behind the computer and debating it.

I have had Muslim friends who will only eat at places where the food is halal. Others who will eat at places where the food isn't labeled halal but will eat anything, including meat, but not pork dishes of course. If this is a non-muslim and they don't want to eat food that is labelled halal that's up to them. I'm not sure if that means the food definitely isn't halal though, I don't know how it works. But if they are worried about eating halal meat because they think it's inhumane that's their choice surely. I don't think it has to be a big issue. Perhaps they could go for a vegetarian dish if that is the case? Or are they refusing to eat at a halal restaurant full stop?

Is the situation that there is a group including one halal eater and one who refuses all halal, including meat-free dishes? Not sure what the best situation is in those circumstances. I'd probably say go to a halal place and the non-halal eater should order vegetarian or not attend. I can't see what ethical objection they could have to that apart from a bigoted one.

Fyi, not saying halal meat is any more or any less inhumane than non-halal. Tbh I don't actually know. But ultimately most slaughterhouses are going to be pretty inhumane because they just are, halal or not.

I'm sure if we look at many slaughterhouses. Hose that go through halal ritual and those that don't there will be a few that are not inhumane. Unfortunately these things happen. But the majority of slaughterhouses non halal and halal are humane and do use stunning. Stunning that does not kill the animal but stops any feelings is allowed in halal.

@Iknowyouwontlikethis Am Muslim too and believe me sensible comments like yours always get ignored in the halal/non-halal debate on mumsnet. Non-Muslims think they have a monopoly on treating animals well.
It's always interesting how everyone on mumsnet buys organic meat from independepent butchers in such debates, makes you wonder how the supermarkets make any money on non-organic meat.
These debates are always the same and you can predict the way they go. Everyone's an expert yet experts comments get ignored.
Eat it, don't eat it, but do get over yourself that if eating non-halal makes you a person who cares about animals.

People (most people) on this thread really have no clue what they are talking about. They get stuck at 'muslim'.

Here here bonfire

What makes them think that because it says organic means that the animals have indeed been treated well....

I agree with everything you said.

We get blamed when we don't step up and say something regarding controversial issues. Yet when we do they are ignored.

Oh well... up to them isn't it.

I agree jaxing