Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To serve these foods to muslim friends

603 replies

MissMildred · 04/08/2018 19:03

Hi - posting here for traffic but also because I don't want to BU. I invited some new school friends and their parents for a bbq in a couple of weeks and two of the families are muslim and mentioned they only eat halal.
I want to make an effort to make them feel comfortable, and it has also been very interesting learning all about what is halal or haram. Obviously no pork will be served. However, some of the guidance on the internet is not clear, so I wondered if anyone with this diet could help me with these items and whether it would BU to serve them up:

Vinegar - if I served this in eg. a coleslaw, are all types of vinegar fine? (Eg is the vinegar not seen as alcohol anymore?)
Butter - Am I overthinking this? Would you eat butter?
Alcohol - I know you wouldn't drink this, but is it acceptable for others in the group to be drinking a glass of wine?
Halloumi - I can't figure out if this is okay or not.

Also - any tips you might have would be great, especially if there are brands of crisps, bread, butter etc....you might use.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Escumator · 04/08/2018 22:50

Wow. Some people are unbelievable. Its okay to kill an animal to eat it. But only.the way u want it to die? Ffs. Do some research. Prejudice people on here.

SavvySaver24 · 04/08/2018 23:04

I don't know why some people think it is perfectly acceptable for people to WANT a prayer said over their meat, and wouldn't eat it without it, but NOT acceptable that people DON'T want this!? Such double standards....

manicinsomniac · 04/08/2018 23:07

Escumator - you're right (imo) but I don't think it's prejudice. Everyone's got a different personal line of meat ethics. I won't eat rabbit because I used to have pet rabbits. I won't eat lamb because in my head they're fluffy babies. But I eat chicken and fish every day. Massively hypocritical.
Only strict vegetarians and people who will eat anything are free of hypocrisy. But it's hypocrisy we're entitled to have because we are choosing what goes into our own bodies.

Sandstormbrewing · 04/08/2018 23:12

SavvySaver24 my issue is that most people (as shown on this thread) believe halal meat is not stunned, and it is that that they object to. Most halal meat is stunned, so people then move on to the prayer.

Personally, I don't see the difference between the prayer or regular songs on the radio (which also happens) unless you believe the prayer means something.

Either you have an issue with the prayer or with the way ALL meat is slaughtered.

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 04/08/2018 23:15

I don’t eat halal meat. As mentioned upthread it is definitely crueller. I try only to eat organic meat so usually go veggie if out.

You would be surprised at how many people object to halal.

We had a lovely Muslim parent who ran PTA meetings from his house and served us beer and wine. He was fine with it - as were we!

Emotionaleater · 04/08/2018 23:50

OP- save yourself the headache and serve a vegetarian option, or buy kosher. Going by the this thread, who knows, you might end up with a queue of people who eat meat but cannot eat halal meat Hmm doubt you’ll get complaints about kosher Grin (and Muslims can happily eat that, if not they can have veggie meal!)

Hope it goes well!

Sandstormbrewing · 05/08/2018 10:14

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow you probably do eat halal meat, you don't realise it as it isn't labelled as halal.

PastaRedWine · 05/08/2018 10:24

I think you should definitely tell people all the meat is halal

That way, if any of your friends object, or cause a fuss, you know instantly they are Daily Mail readers and you can henceforth drop them as friends.

@MissMildred you sound lovely. I hope you have fun :-)

flashz · 05/08/2018 10:26

Definitely tell your guests if the meat is halal so that you can weed out the closet racists.
Honestly never seem so many people suddenly obsessed with animal welfare. It's as if non halal meat comes from animals voluntarily slaughtered in a 5 star hotel.

SavvySaver24 · 05/08/2018 10:27

Flashz, not wanting to NOT eat halal meat is not effing racist!!!

Sandstormbrewing · 05/08/2018 10:28

PastaRedWine Grin

flashz · 05/08/2018 10:28

@PastaRedWine
Snap!

Btw op, I forgot to mention, you will need to cook the food separately and let them know you are doing that beforehand. Maybe chuck some halloumi and veg in the oven.

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/08/2018 10:28

Actually doing the research into methods of slaughter both halal and non halal has put me right off meat now.

Neither is particularly pleasant, and neither is without suffering to the animals involved. I think that I was blissfully unaware of that and had the luxury of not considering it.

No more meat for me!!

Sandstormbrewing · 05/08/2018 10:29

SavvySaver24 no, but it's hypocritical and virtually impossible unless you are vegetarian.

flashz · 05/08/2018 10:29

@SavvySaver24 Never heard of unconscious bias? You've been brainwashed by the red tops and you don't even know it.

Sandstormbrewing · 05/08/2018 10:30

YeTalkShiteHen well done! I don't care if people eat meat or not, but do care that people who eat meat (myself included) understand the process that gets it from farm to plate!

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/08/2018 10:30

Flashz, not wanting to NOT eat halal meat is not effing racist!!!

No it’s not, but if it comes from a place of ignorance and is based on the fact it’s a Muslim ritual (which many on here have denied but not offered another reason) it is Islamophobic. Which isn't different really is it?

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/08/2018 10:32

Sandstormbrewing I’m actually annoyed with myself for not looking into it more before now. I’m not eating meat any more, but DP and the bairns will so I’m trying to make sure I can find the most ethically bred/reared/slaughtered meat I can so at least I’m not part of it.

SavvySaver24 · 05/08/2018 10:36

What a load of BS.... My reasons for not eating halal are 2 fold.

  1. It IS crueler whatever you say (feel free to continue in denial...). I'm not saying non-halal is all roses and sunshine but is a heck of alot more human than halal.
  1. I am NOT muslim, I do NOT want any sort of rituals/prayers said over my meat for a religion I don't believe in.
sashh · 05/08/2018 10:38

Really? What does saying prayers over meat do to make it unacceptable to you

Sikhs cannot eat meat that has been prayed over. Most halal meat is prestunned but from a butcher might not be.

Working with a mixed group of Muslim, Sikh and Christians I cooked a lot of fish for gatherings.

OP

Fish with gills is fine but not seafood.

Salmon parcels BBQ well, as do veg kebabs

Sandstormbrewing · 05/08/2018 10:38

@SavvySaver24 how do you know the meat you are eating is NOT halal? If it's just because it's not labelled halal then you are WRONG.

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/08/2018 10:39

You’re kidding yourself if you think it’s more humane.

Why do prayers you don’t believe in have any effect whatsoever on what you’re eating? Surely prayers are only relevant to those who believe in them?

I’m an atheist, I couldn’t give a shit what prayers are or aren’t said over my food. I recognise that for believers they are important, so do matter to them.

Your second point kind of illustrated mine I nicely though.

JacquesHammer · 05/08/2018 10:43

Why do prayers you don’t believe in have any effect whatsoever on what you’re eating? Surely prayers are only relevant to those who believe in them?

Yes this. If I don’t believe in the prayers it’s just words.

Although judging by the blethering in the local rag, there seem to be a group of hard of thinking who think you can catch Islam from a bit of meat 🙄

Clairetree1 · 05/08/2018 10:43

How can a bunch of random strangers on the internet tell you want your friends eat or don't eat?

ask your friends

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 05/08/2018 10:45

Slaughterhouses are not humane

The fear and confusion and the suffering is happening regardless of an animal being stunned for a fear seconds

Most of us (including myself) just prefer not to give it much thought