Halal Horror Stage Act
by Black Sabbath
- Macaulay Culkin’s shocked face, from home alone DVD cover – get it at Amazon.com, and learn few tricks against forceful invasion from stealing your natural resources.
The selected news below illustrate that there are ‘some non-Muslims’ in a really ‘furious’ mode, like ready-to-bomb-all-McD-outlets-across-Europe furious. They are furious ‘cos the news said so. It painted a picture as though the consumers don’t have a choice for non-Halal fast food.
But McD have already told the consumers that they do have a choice; since there are more conventional normal food as compared to Halal or Kosher or Vegie out there on this planet. And also, “customers who did not want halal food should buy from any of its (McD) other stores.” as the news reported.
That’s a simple solution innit? Very simple – just avoid the food with Halal, Kosher or Vegie logo. Like that. But the news said they are ‘furious’… So the horror is not about how the consumers are reacting to something, but how news agencies exploited them, even there’s only one of them ‘furious’ dude. To make the news sounds ‘horrifying’ and could start a genocide, which would sell more news. Money-money-moneeeyyy…. Below are the news…
However some non-Muslim customers are furious they were not told their hamburger meat was slaughtered and blessed in accordance with Islamic rules laid down in the Koran.
McDonald’s consulted Muslim leaders before introducing halal products at its Brunswick East and St Albans stores. Halal meat is from animals that have been killed facing Mecca and blessed using the name of Allah. Brunswick East store assistant manager Nicholas Yacoub said the move had attracted a surge of new customers.
“It has pretty much doubled our sales,” Mr Yacoub said. The store does not tell drive-through customers about the change and has only one small sign inside advertising the move.
Coburg resident Miriam McLennan was stunned to discover the hamburger she bought from the Brunswick East store was blessed.
“Just as a Muslim would not want to eat anything that isn’t halal… I should have my rights to eat normal, ordinary food that hasn’t been blessed,” she said.
A Catholic Church spokesman said non-Muslims deserved to know if the food was halal before buying. But he said there was no biblical reason for Christians to avoid halal food. A McDonald’s spokeswoman said customers who did not want halal food should buy from any of its other stores.
Below is the observation of the ‘furious’ scenario after the news report, from Australabe.com. Included are some of the readers’ comments which are pretty interesting. Read below…
In the last couple of weeks, there have been three stories about companies selling halal products and apparently distressing some of their non-Muslim consumers.
Firstly, we have a McDonalds store in Melbourne that, shortly before Ramadan, decided to use halal meat for their products. There is a sign on the wall next to the counter that advises that the products are now halal and have been certified by some organisation but perhaps some customers may have missed it.
Secondly, we have Red Rooster, a chain of fried chicken stores, that has apparently started using halal meat too.
As MX reports: “If Red Rooster has made the decision to make all of their chicken halal that’s appalling, because people need choice. We think many Christians would be offended if they went into Red Rooster and had to eat halal meat,” said Australian Christian Lobby spokesman David Yates.
Finally, we have A Current Affair running a story about Nestle who have decided to include a stamp denoting halal certification on their products too. In this case, the stamp means that the products don’t contain pork, alcohol or non-halal meat products. Unlike the other two examples, there hasn’t been a change of product.
Not withstanding the outrage — real and manufactured — that this news has generated, it should be remembered that for each of these companies it is a commercial decision. They are seeking to capture a new market (Muslims) and expand sales of their product. In the case of the McDonalds stores, it has certainly been beneficial and they have increased sales as a result. Given companies have no obligation or responsibility other than to make a profit for their shareholders, the only possible complaint that can be made is that the decision has somehow reduced sales or they didn’t recognise the opportunity earlier.
The whole issue of halal certification is somewhat questionable but we’ll leave that for another post at another time, but suffice to say, I don’t see anything objectional about the manner in which the animals are slaughtered. They are not slaughtered in the name of the Prophet Muhammad or anything other than God alone: in the case of a chicken, a mechanical blade slices whilst a Muslim recites Bismillah (In the name of God) and Allahu Akbar (God is Great).
However, if some Christians don’t want to eat such foods then that is their choice and we should respect it. Just as Muslims should not feel compelled to eat forbidden foods, these Christians shouldn’t feel compelled to eat halal food. In fact, Christians and other non-Muslims who feel offended by halal foods should therefore welcome the labeling of each of these products; it will make it much easier for them to know which products to avoid when shopping or looking to dine out at McDonalds.
Selected Readers’ Comments
#1 – From Hus
it will make it much easier for them to know which products to avoid when shopping or looking to dine out at McDonalds.
LOL good point
#2 – From Martijn
Very interesting, the Netherlands recently faced the same issue with the main food chain Albert Heijn. It took place during the last election campaign in ‘Albert Heijn’was forced to withdrew its selection of halal products from stores after receiving 5000 protest emails through the Party for the Animals website. The emails sharply expressed the public outrage; namely the demand of Islamic law that halal meat be produced without the use of anaesthesia when killing animals.
People were probably also offended because Albert Heijn was not clear on this issue (which I can imagine; i agree with you that people should be able to make a choice and therefore they have a right to know). And perhaps also because they found out that the Netherlands is one of the main exporting countries when it comes down to halal meat.
After the incident Albert Heijn stopped selling halal meat from animals that were not sedated. This led one of the national Muslim organizations to the conclusion that people should not buy it anymore because it did not meet the criteria for being halal.
#3 – From Gavin
The wider Australian community would be well served to pull its collective head in on this one. halal meat exports provide a huge chunk of Australia’s meat trade, without which many cattle and sheep farmers would not have a livelihood, just ask grain farmers who lose important markets such as Iraq, and as for Christian pastors who find this offensive to eat meat blessed in the name of God, I suggest they are 1500 years too late to introduce dietary code into their religion.
I would invite them to chill out take a back rub, just like Pastor Ted here.
#4 – From Fatima
I wonder what they will do if they find out most Nandos are actually halal as well.
#5 – From Shadower
Yes, Nando’s has been halal for ages.
Gavin made a good point. Australia’s Halal meat trade is growing, and the city of Hume is aiming to become the center of it in Melbourne with the local council supporting it strongly considering how great it would be for the local economy.
Australia has great potential to tap into the halal trade considering the region we are in.
#6 – From Hus
Oportos is halal too.
#7 – From Tobias
I want to add my voice to the ridicule of the australian christian lobby, who appear to make up religious doctrine based on the prevailing public mood.
After discarding jewish dietary law 2000 years ago, they can not issue a press release and say that it is now impermissible to eat meat blessed in the name of G-D. What sort of religion do they practice? do they read the opinion section of the daily telegraph and then make doctrine to suit the mood?
what a joke, its OK for a christian to nibble on the testicles of a swine but not to eat halal meat.
david yates needs to take a deep knee bend or a cold shower
#8 – From JDsg
For Australians and New Zealanders coming up north to Singapore and Malaysia on holiday, don’t get too indignant when you find out that virtually all the fast-food restaurants (McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, LJS, etc.) in these two countries are all halal. You want choice? Go to a non-halal (regular) restaurant.
#9 – From Antiquated Tory
Two issues, one of gross stupidity and one of spirit vs letter of the law.
The objection to eating halal meat because one is Christian is imbecilic and contemptible, as has been commented upon here. I often buy meat from the couple of halal butchers here in Prague simply because it is higher quality (imported from halal slaughterhouses in Germany I expect) and because they are the only butchers in town who understand lamb, and will even bone it for me and crack the bones for stock. Don’t hold your breath asking a Czech butcher to do that.
The second issue mentioned in passing is the anaesthetized (dig my transatlantic spelling) animal for halal/kashreth. The same issue exists in the UK with kosher slaughterhouses and I believe for similar reasons: under Jewish law, the animal must be fully awake and without blemish, etc. Now, the reasons behind a lot of the Jewish slaugher laws are 1) to prevent the consumption of bad meat and 2) to slaughter animals as humanely as possible. I suspect halal operates on a similar logic.
But the laws were set a long, long time ago, and if the gentiles come up with a more humane way of slaughter, shouldn’t we adopt it? (In kosher slaugherhouses there is also an issue with non-sedated animals injuring themselves, rendering their meat trefe. This is both more cruel and more wasteful than modern British or Australian slaughter methods and I cannot understand the justification for it, other than empty piety.)
If the law of long time ago is more humane to animal, why can’t we adopt it? Cos consumers have the rights to choose. It’s not about the law, it’s about consumers. We want what we prefer. We want, and we always want what we want. If the capitalist can’t give what we want, we don’t spend money on them. Capitalist will loose us consumers. On top of the food chain are the capitalist. Who are stupid enough to attack them? Maybe animal rights activist and the news agencies should go attack the capitalist, if they got the balls – IF – but sadly no balls. Capitalist are more smarter and much stronger than the very weak and easily bribed animal rights activist. Plus capitalist only listen to consumers to dominate the market, they have the rights to sell whatever they want – Consumer’s Rights is Consumer’s Rights… Go try tell the Japs to stop eating shark fin soup and whale meat, you’ll find ninjas in your house LOL.
So doesn’t matter if the consumers are Muslim, Shinto, Christian, or Atheist, Consumers always have the rights. Beat that if you can LOL… It’s your rights. You don’t like something, don’t buy, just DIY.
“Its a serious crime, a cruelty and against human’s right when someone says religious slaughter is not right.” – Black Sabbath
Posted by - Halal Media
