To absolutely loathe the increase in smear campaigns against businesses because of the halal meat debate?

[nc0007]

Well it’s not really a debate, is it? You either don’t care, or you’re absolutely seething because your meat may or may not be halal. But irrespectively of what you think about this, AIBU to think that people ‘outing’ businesses on social media about what meat they use and encouraging hundreds of people to smear them not just in posts but reviews to tank their ratings is just crazy?

Hundreds of people commenting ‘I’ve just left them a bad review on google’ because a (British owned baked potato) business extended their trading hours to their Muslim customers? People who have never bought anything from them in their life, probably geographically will never go there. Actively trying to sabotage a business because you think you’re what - some sort of activist?

And don’t get me started on the posts where people reach out to these poor customer service reps in supermarkets to ask them if the meat they sell is halal because of this mad narrative that ‘80% of supermarket meat is halal’ - where has this nonsense come from?!?! 😂 People screenshotting and commenting about how ‘Clare from Lidl’ is avoiding the question when she probably doesn’t have a scooby and the answer probably isn’t a straight yes or no either!

Madness. Utter madness. People treating this like it’s a full time job.

No it's not racism or xenophobia.

Stop being so absurd.

Sorry, can you explain what you mean by specific God. Do you think the muslim God is different to Christian God?

A lot of it very clearly is racism/Islamophobia.

What other explanation is there for the fact that many people only appear to give a shit about animal welfare when it is their perception that Muslims are responsible for animal cruelty. Where are all those people when white British meat producers are treating animals like shit?

It’s just information and clarity. People who do want to buy halal want it too. Those who don’t are asking to be informed.

A white person can be Muslim, so no oys not racism

And they are totally focused on "halal labelling" even when they know that most halal meat is produced to the exact same welfare regulations as non-halal meat, and still pretend their concerns are about welfare.

Halal means permissible by God.
Halal slaughter is saying Bismillah (in the name of Allah. Allah in Arabic is God. Some Muslim owned slaughter houses have the quran being prayed above on speakers as do some other Muslim businesses like market stalls and barber shops.

And the muslim/Islamic way to slaughter animals is a quick slit to the throat as its said this is the quick and least painful way to die. Animals must also not see the blade, be cut in front of other animals or tied up and blindfolded. The quran also says animals must be treated with kindness.

Halal slaughter if done correctly should take less than 20 seconds. Yes, they will bleed out, as all animals will lose their bloods in slaughter. You wouldn't go to sainsbury and buy a pack of chicken breast full of blood. Naturally the blood drains out to then be able to cut the meat up properly.

Hope that helps.

Of course white people can be Muslim. But the majority of Muslims aren't.

We can call it Islamophobia if you prefer, but in most cases, that is just a proxy for racism in any case.

Or we could just call it all bigotry if that's easier?

Why the air quotes? Do you think halal doesn’t exist?

Clear labelling means customers who do want to buy it can, why ignore that?

Lot of people protest about that too.

Lots of people won't buy battery farmed eggs for example and won't buy meat from outside the UK because they don't that even minimum standards have been met re animal welfare. Some people only buy free range meat, some people won't buy from supermarkets at all but only from farm shops.

People have a wide range of opinions and what they personally want from the food they buy. What is beginning to concern consumers now is that they would like more food labelling. They already demanded food labelling that wasn't present years ago. Now some are saying they would like food to be labelled as halal or kosher in addition to compulsory labels stating which meat and eggs are free range or organic.

I've already said, I have no issue with labelling, but I would support a more comprehensive labelling system which also addresses the broader aspects of animal welfare. A grading system along the lines of the food hygiene bandings would be good. Then people who actually care about animal welfare could make properly informed choices.

Yes, and I support better food labelling as outlined in my previous posts.

My issue is with the people who only seem to care about animal welfare when they perceive that Muslims are responsible for any cruelty, and are happy to turn a blind eye to it the rest of the time.

Hahahaaa. 🌹

If muslim girls want to cover their hair as its part of their faith, im pretty sure no one died. Nuns cover their hair. Mother Mary in all her pictures and statues covers her hair!

Ok great, I don’t think people will object.

Does this include clear halal labelling on meat sold or in places such as schools?

Because if you want that too then it looks like everyone agrees pretty much.

You get that already in some supermarkets - Waitrose for example. That was probably largely in response to what their customers wanted, and were prepared to pay for meat where the animals were raised under higher welfare.

Maybe all supermarkets should do the same. That's a whole different debate though.

www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/sustainability/animal-welfare

No, I'm quoting the thing that many of these people are explicitly saying they want - but simply labelling it "halal" doesn't achieve their stated goals of wanting to know about welfare standards, so it appears disingenuous.

Incidentally, when they're written down, they're not air quotes. Just quotation/quote marks (depending on your country.) I've used them the standard way, to demonstrate the exact words someone has said or written, rather than to denote irony.

I disagree on last part even if in your instance you say it wasn’t that. In the same way caps can be taken as shouting.

People should just say they want halal labelling for clarity and to be informed, it’s enough of a reason, and labelling can catch up with consumer opinion.

Possibly because we live in areas where Kosher isn’t commonly available in the supermarkets or shops, but there is a sizeable muslim community so halal is?

I was raised in a muslim [step/adoptive] family and was oblivious to halal meat until recently as it simply wasn’t discussed. By my dad has become stricter as he has got older and brags about everything at the BBQ being halal. I refuse to eat it and would prefer the veggie options as a result. Both my sisters are veggie/pescatarian, so I now understand why.

Now that I understand that Kosher meat is killed the same way, I shan’t be eating/buying that either if I see it on the menu when I visit London. Not racist, just lack of awareness until now.

I don't think that's sinister. It's not really possible to be unclear about kosher meat. It will always be labelled as kosher, it costs more and to remain kosher it needs to be prepared in a kosher kitchen (which again, costs more).

Isn't it funny how there's always someone who feels the need to pit Jews against Muslims, or vice versa, like this?

You seem to be defending halal and implying people are islamophobic for being against halal slaughter while simultaneously accusing Jewish people of always crying wolf about anti-Semitism. Do you not see the hypocrisy in your posts?

To be fair, you probably don't see it. Because you don't want to. Too busy pitting us against each other to see why kind of sense.

Aren't you being a bit racist here for saying all Jewish people are white?!

Fantastic!!!! Are you christian as well, leviticus in the bible says dont eat pork and dont even go near it!

Sorry, when you say eating the whole animal, is it normal in Poland to also eat everything including private parts and liver etc. That would be considered a meal/delicacy?

Why are you now introducing genitals?

You are a racist.

The potato shop, fine.
Restaurants and cafes in Europe selling halal meat only is ridiculous and should be out there for customers to decide.
Changing huge parts of accommodate a very small section of society is wrong.
Serve both options. I am a vegetarian so I don’t eat meat.