Halal-only Menus

Halal-only Menus
RESIDENTS across Harrow have vented their anger about proposals to have Halal-only menus in primary schools in the borough. Meat is meat. What does it matter how it’s killed? These stupid parents should find other things to whine about. Halal meat is more hygienically processed anyway.The newspaper revealed exclusively how Harrow Council has employed a catering company to only prepare Halal meat – to serve youngsters in Harrow. This is nothing new to my knowledge, Tower Hamlets council been doing Halal meat in schools for at least 3 years or more.

The Halal slaughter method (along with Shechita which is the name for pretty much the same method used by Jews) is not cruel at all. When the animal's throat is slit, it results in a massive drop in blood pressure causing pretty much instantaneous unconsciousness. As long as the cut is performed correctly the animal will feel a mere instant of pain compared to the intense suffering they can go through in abattoir's with the "normal" slaughter method. The link that has been made between this story and Britain becoming an Islamic State is a bit extreme. The majority of British people are atheist. But it doesn't mean we can't try and make life easier and better for people of all faiths and cultures. All children should be offered a choice. That way Muslims can eat what they want and non-Muslims can eat what they want.

The Muslim community has been passing through a phase of fourth Crusades. The battleground is the field of education, where the young generation will be educated properly with the Holly Quran in one hand and Sciences in other hand to serve humanity. A true Muslim is a citizen of the world, which has become a small global village. We are going to prepare our youth to achieve that objective in the long run. A true Muslim believes in Prophet Moses and the Prophet Jesus and without them one cannot be a Muslim. My suggestion is that in all state, independent and Christian based school special attention should be given to the teaching of Comparative Religion and Islam should be taught by qualified Muslim Teachers to make the children aware the closeness of Islam to Christianity and Judaism which will help them to think about Islam, as “A Pragmatic and Modern Way of Life,” during their life time. Those state schools where Muslim children are in majority may be opted out as Muslim Academies.

Bilingual Muslim children need to learn and be well versed in Standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. The problem is that they learn English in the streets and in the playgrounds. British schooling does not teach English to migrant children. The teachers let them speak the same accent in the classroom. They have no courage to stop them or correct them. This is one of the main reasons why one third of children have difficulties with reading when they leave primary schools. Majority of such children are bilingual Muslims. They often speak "street" with its own grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. In other European countries and in the sub-continent argot and slang are not allowed into the classrooms. In Britain primary school teachers do not feel that it's role to interfere with self-expression in any shape or form. They encourage children to read poems and stories written in ethnic dialects.

There are couples of state schools in Harrow where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies so that non-Muslim children could enjoy their own meals in their own schools.
Iftikhar Ahmad

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I have heard of the place Harrow two times this past month.

 

i can understand why they're angry. Although considering most are atheists or behave like atheists i dont see why it would matter to them whether it was halal, kosher or none of the above.

Personally i think muslim kids dont need an all halal menu. We should adapt, i mean its just one meal we're talking about lunch. Our kids can go for the vegetarian options on offer, or bring along a packed lunch, it's not going to kill them. Parents can give their muslim children meat at home, if they feel like their kids are missing out nutritional value.

i think we are making an issue over this, when there are bigger issues muslims should be focussing on, not school meals. Had it been a muslim school fine, but this is a secular school right, so can't you understand their anger? I guess they think we are taking over everything slowly to build an islamic state lol. Sounds silly but ppl are very paranoid and scared at the moment, they want to hold on to their way of life, and that would include eating meat that is not kosher nor halal.

Think about the same scenario in saudi. Ex pat workers lots are there, kids attend the same schools as locals. What if they were in a majority in one particular school and demanded non halal meat, i'm sure that would go down a treat....not!

“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]

Salaam

All children should be offered a choice. That way Muslims can eat what they want and non-Muslims can eat what they want.

There are couples of state schools in Harrow where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies so that non-Muslim children could enjoy their own meals in their own schools.

There are hundreds of state and church schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies. This is the solution to all the issues and problems faced by Muslim community and the host community. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school.

Multicultural Britain has a relatively large broad trilingual population whose skills are under recognised and understood.Those skills should be used as a bonus, but British schooling has been trying its best to discourage them not to learn and speak their mother tongues. According to an anthropological linguist, when a language dies, its heritage and identity will die with it. There is a positive co-relation between language and culture. Language and culture are interconnected.

A report by the Institute for Community Cohesion found that native parents were deserting some schools after finding their children out numbered by pupils from ethnic minorities. Schools in parts of England are becoming increasingly segregated. The study focused on 13 local authorities. Many of the schools and colleges are segregated and this was generally worsening over recent years. This is RACISM because British society is the home of institutional racism. My statement regarding Muslim schools where there is no place for non-Muslim child or a teacher is based on educational process and not on racism. Muslim children need Muslim teachers during their developmental periods. For higher studies and research, Muslim teacher is not a priority.

IO have a HUGE problem with the articles Iftikhar Ahmed writes

He's inorant to the point of being racist

Any particular things you disagree with?

When it comes to the issue of halaal meat, many non Muslims (apart from Sikhs and maybe those that dislike animals to not be stunned) have no issue with halaal meat - otherwise the takeaways will not be doing the business that they do.

On the other hand, Muslims DO have an issue with non Halaal meat.

I think "oh, but you're serving halaal meat to non muslims!" is only an issue with a small segment of society while most will not be too bothered by it (except maybe by the lack of meats that are never allowed in a halaal diet, which they can still have after school, at home.)

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

Not the issue of halal meat

im talking about his other articles

go onto the website
and the forums
youll se what I mean

Hmmm. This is not so cut and dry. On the one hand I can understand that when Muslim children go to none Muslim schools, they cannot eat meat unless it is Halal. But on the other hand a school cannot offer a choice of Halal and none Halal.. Why? It is a cost issue, as schools have a limited budget to spend on school meals and must make the choice, Halal or none Halal.

And so if a school chooses Halal when they are not a Muslim school, then they are also discriminating against Sikhs and people who object to Halal slaughter. This also builds up a feeling of resentment against Muslims as it is seen that a Christian country is bending its rules to suit a minority, and so is not good for community cohesion.

I don't see why these schools just offer vegetarian options like most schools, available to Jews, Muslims and other groups who refuse to eat meat. Surely that is the compromise that would be the best option... After all, we always say kids don't eat enough veg!

It would depend on the numbers of people going there.

While there should be meals tha cater to all students, if the school is say 95% Muslim, having more halaal options would not be a bad thing.

If however there are like 2 students that are Muslims, then whatever the majority is they should be catered for first while having something acceptable or better for others.

Another issue here is like the DM campaign where meat in some locations is slaughtered to halaal regulations, but not served as halaal meat, if that is the case, then very little would need to be done to make it halaal, and that would have no negatives as... well, the sikhs could still not eat it anyway as it is already not allowed for them.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.