Religion, food and the right to secularism

At the weekend I asked the question; are we slowly losing the right to chose whether or not to eat halal meat.

Initially I was surprised by the reaction it sparked, the story had more than 300 hits  by the end of the day with several readers contacting me on twitter to say they felt there is not enough done to warn whether the food we eat is produced to religious specifications.

On reflection, I am not shocked by the response. Religion and religious tolerance is  becoming increasingly relevant to our lives, while being insidiously shrouded by a cape of political correctness gagging the opinions of those fearful of earning the label "racist".

The concerns over halal are not, however, limited to the racially intolerant or Islamophobic. Ordinary multi-cultural citizens such as myself feel we are losing our right not to eat meat slaughtered according to Islamic teachings through fear of causing religious offence.

For the record, I am not a Muslim. Nor am I a Jew, a Hindu, a pagan, a Sikh, a Mormon, a Jedi or a Christian.

I have strong spiritual beliefs born out of curiosity about the world, and I live by a self-taught  moral code that requires I never willingly or needlessly cause harm or upset to my fellow humans, animals, environment or self.

I have never felt the need to follow a prescribed religious doctrine to live within these boundaries, although I respect anybody’s right to observe whichever code of life they chose.

I do not, however, wish to have religion forced upon me.

This includes Jehovah’s Witnesses telling me I am going to Hell for not believing in a Christian God or Hindus telling me I should go to temple because of my father’s Indian roots.

My abstinence extends to being “secretly” slipped food prepared to religious order, specifically when that could  involve the slaughter of animals in a way which conflicts with my beliefs.

When it comes to halal, this is the killing of animals which potentially could not have been stunned beforehand.

But let me be clear, it is not just halal I would have an issue with.

I would feel equally wronged at being served Kosher, communion wine or the body of Christ against my will.

The previous post dealing with this issue included a comment from a member of the catering industry who said fear of offending Muslims prompts companies to use halal meat with customers being left in ignorance.

I have experienced eating at a restaurant only to notice afterwards, a small sign on the door pointing out all meat is halal.

Today I spoke to Marc Murphy, director of Secularfood, a company which  provides labels  to restaurants and outlets indicating the religious specification of foods.

It provides  “secular food outlet” labels to eateries to ensure customers know none of their meat has been religiously slaughtered.

Non-meat products would not have undergone any religious ceremony during its preparation to earn this label.

But far from being anti-religion, Mr Murphy claims to work in conjunction with halal and kosher outlets so as “not to alienate” these communities.

It is just about freedom of choice, and people respecting each other’s right to that choice.

His vision is “proper respect for the individual conscience”, he  said currently people who do not wish to eat halal are not having their conscience respected.

He told me it is commonplace for restaurants and fast food chains to sell halal meat without informing their customers.

“Many restaurants (from fast-food chains to supermarkets) have been selling halal meat without letting their customers know,” he said.

“We believe that this demonstrates a lack of respect and sympathy for the conscience of those who are either unable to or refrain from eating halal meat –for example the Sikh and Hindu communities or animal welfare campaigners, not to mention the wider general public.”

A clear labeling system would address the concerns people have they are not being  informed of the religious source of their food.

I  think people who do not wish to have religious doctrine forced on them, even the seemingly innocent chicken burger from a take away, should not be afraid to speak out.

For me the objection is centered around the pre-stunning issue. British abattoirs follow guidelines specifying animals must be unconscious before they are killed.

I do not want to eat products that have deviated from that principle, even at the risk of offending another’s religious sensitivities.

I  would not expect to be unscrupulously served halal any more than I would try and sneak ham into a dish I was serving Jewish friends.

It is about respect, respect for cultures, religions, beliefs and the right to secularism.