McDonald’s Australia reaches out to Muslim fast-food lovers…
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.
[…]
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.
[Source: Herald Sun]
First of all, I think this is great news. Being a fast food fan myself, when traveling abroad, I often find myself wishing there were a restaurant or two of my favorite chains that served halal food. So I definitely hope more and more chains consider opening up halal restaurants.
Secondly, regarding the reaction by some of the non-Muslim customers, I think that it might be because of a misunderstanding of the concept of halal food and the way the animals producing halal meat are killed.
In the Koran, here’s what we find:
“Forbidden to you are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it; that which is sacrificed on stone;…”
I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding surrounding Halal food, eliminate any misconceptions that I think are the reason behind some people’s reaction to these restaurants, and show that it is ordinary food.
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It’s not ordinary food, MMM: it’s better food. 🙂 As is kosher beef, poultry and lamb. And Jewish friends who at least try to eat kosher will, if there’s no kosher food around, immediately gravitate toward the nearest source of halal food, if available. In the U.S. you can usually spot such places because of the large sign out front reading “Halal.” In Boston, one of the busier halal butcher shops also does a nice lunchtime Greek gyro and sells excellent pizza by the slice. (Do not buy fish from him! 🙂 )