Halal - are non-Muslims losing the right to choose?

Should we have the right to know if we are being served halal meat?

Halal has become the topic of heated debate as people increasingly feel they are being stripped of the right to make an informed decision over whether they eat meat that has come from animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.

The issue came to my attention this week after I was tipped off a school in London had plans to serve pupils and staff only halal meat.

A furious (non-muslim) parent approached me and said there had been no consultation over a new catering contract specifying all meat served at the school must be halal.

The contract for Burntwood School, in Wandsworth, South London, insists all meat must come from animals bled to death in accordance with Muslim teachings.

Around 800 meals every day are provided for pupils, staff and other users of the school which teaches girls age 11 to 18 and has a mixed sixth form.

They will be given a choice of vegetarian meals but there will be no non-halal meat option on the menu, according to the specifications of the £1.5 million tender.

The exact wording on the contract published on the Government Tenders, Government News and Information website reads: “Given the school’s diverse population, all meat served must be halal and a vegetarian option must be available.”

As is standard journalistic practice, I phoned the school to give them the right to reply on this and spoke to head teacher Helen Dorfman.

She immediately denied this was the case and said there had been an error in the wording of the contract adding there would be a “non-halal option”.

She said she has “no idea” how this error had occurred but that the school had a large Islamic population and had to provide halal.

She insisted: “There will be a non-halal option on the menu.”

But that was not before a storm of controversy had blown up with parents and pro-choice groups fiercely criticising a potential situation where non-muslim pupils would be given no choice but to eat halal meat.

Non-religious organisations insist people should be given a choice whether to eat halal or not.

Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said being unwittingly served halal would “absolutely horrify” many people.

He said: “People must have a choice and it is not good enough just offering a vegetarian option.

“People who object to the preparation of the meat because of the cruelty involved should have a clear choice to not be served Halal.

“It is authoritarian to tell people that there is no alternative, and the school should not organise itself around the demands of religious people who think their needs have to be accommodated at every turn, there are other people  at the school who may not want to eat Halal.”

Parents reacted angrily to the announcement after it was published on the Government website.

One, who asked not to be named, said: “The school has decided to force feed its pupils halal food, this is totally unacceptable.”

Halal is condemned by the RSPCA and the Government’s veterinary advisers.

This is mainly due to the method by which animals are killed which involves slitting the throat in one swipe without prior stunning.

This means the animals are fully conscious as they are killed, Islamic custom does not allow them to be rendered unconscious on humane grounds before slaughter as is practice in traditional British abattoirs.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “The RSPCA is opposed to the slaughter of any food animal without first rendering it insensible to pain and distress until death supervenes.

“The Society considers that scientific research has clearly demonstrated that slaughter of an animal without stunning can cause unnecessary suffering.”

“Whilst the Society recognises that religious beliefs and practices should be respected, we continue to press for changes in legislation which would improve the welfare of the animals at the time of slaughter.

“The RSPCA believes that it is important to ensure that animals are slaughtered under the most humane conditions possible.”

Halal, which 20 years ago was confined to specialist butchers and food outlets is becoming more commonplace in British catering.

On a recent trip to Nandos it was not until I had eaten that I noticed a small sign on the door saying that all meat is halal.

I believe this should have been pointed out more clearly and, I would have been able to make the decision whether or not to eat there.

It is worth checking with restaurants whether you are being served halal before you order, if you are of the belief that other people’s religious customs should not be forced onto you without your prior knowledge or if you are concerned for animal welfare.

I spoke to a source in the catering industry who told me the growing problem many caterers have is they do not wish to offend Muslim customers.

Consequently catering companies are more likely to use halal meat without “advising” non-muslims.

He said: “I am not refuting the fact that people are being served halal but they are not being given the full facts.

“You are more likely to be served halal meat at a venue without knowing about it than not.

“There’a an argument that customers should be given the choice but much of the time they are not, and they have no idea they are being served halal.”

I contacted Muslim think tank Quilliam which purports to stand for religious freedom, equality, human rights and democracy.

They declined to comment.