Bangers Ban in Hundreds of Schools
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pork is being banned from school dinners even where the majority of parents have no religious objection to it.

Head teachers are deciding for “cultural” and “religious” reasons to drop traditional sausages and ham from children’s lunches.

One council has issued "best practice" advice to all schools in its area to “ban all pork products in order to cater for the needs of staff and pupils who are not permitted contact with these for religious reasons”.

The guidance, issued in Haringey, north London, does not specify what proportion of a school’s intake should object to the meat - which is not eaten by devout Muslims or Jews - before it is dropped.

The policy was criticised last night by MPs and farmers’ leaders, who accused head teachers of depriving other children of a choice and pointed out that all schools already offer vegetarian options.

Pabulum, a school caterer in south-east England, said that around 20 of the 48 primary schools it supplied chose only non-pork lunches.

Most serve no halal or kosher meat, however, so many Muslim or Jewish pupils would not be able to eat the dishes anyway.

In Luton, 23 out of 57 schools which contract their dinners from the local authority have a “no pork” policy. In Bradford the figure is 24 out of 160; in Newham, east London, it is 25 out of 75; in Tower Hamlets, east London, it is 85 out of 90. In Haringey’s infant, junior and primary schools, 37 out of 47 serve no pork. Read on and comment » | Julie Henry, Education Correspondent | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Religious Butchering Now Commonplace in Britain, Leading Vet Claims

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Non-Muslim Britons are being forced to eat animals slaughtered in "appalling" pain because religious butchering is becoming so common, a former chief vet has claimed.

Prof Bill Reilly, ex-president of the British Veterinary Association, said cutting the throats of lambs, chickens and other animals without stunning them breaches legal requirements because it causes significant pain, fear and distress.

British and EU law permits the method of religious slaughter to account for Muslim and Jewish dietary practices, but stipulates that the animals must not be caused "unnecessary suffering."

Prof Reilly called for the practice to be dramatically curbed, suggesting that some slaughterhouses are refusing to stun animals simply to cut costs, rather than for religious reasons.

Writing in the Veterinary Record [Full text £], he said the number of animals having their throats slit while still fully conscious – a practice known as non-stun slaughter – was "unacceptable".

Referring to a report by the former Animal Welfare Council he claimed that "such a massive injury could result in very significant pain and distress", particularly because the throat has a large number of nerve endings. Read on and comment » | Nick Collins, Science Correspondent | Friday, May 04, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dutch parliament votes to ban ritual slaughter of animals: The Dutch parliament on Tuesday voted to ban ritual slaughter in landmark animal rights legislation that has been compared to Nazi persecution of the Jews by the country's Chief Rabbi. » | Bruno Waterfield | Tuesday, June 28, 2012

THE TELEGRAPH: Ban urged on kosher and halal butchery: Muslim and Jewish methods of slaughter, involving slitting animals' throats and letting them bleed to death, should be banned immediately, Government advisers said yesterday. ¶ The Farm Animal Welfare Council, which advises ministers on livestock cruelty, said in a report published yesterday that the way in which halal and kosher meats are produced was intrinsically cruel and caused severe suffering for sheep, goats and cattle. » | Robert Uhlig, Farming Correspondent | Wednesday, June 11, 2003

Related here, here, and here

France's Muslims Hit Back at Nicolas Sarkozy's Policy on Halal Meat

THE GUARDIAN: With Marine Le Pen chasing his votes, the French president has made labelling of halal meat an election issue. But Muslim entrepreneurs are dismayed by his shift to the right

Les Enfants Terribles, a chic restaurant in Paris's 12th arrondissement, was packed. Plates of [‘]halal[’] foie gras à la maison, [']halal['] braised lamb with rosemary, and halal caramelised duck were being dispatched to tables. Fresh fruit cocktails and exotic non-alcoholic concoctions replaced glasses of wine.

Mohamed Abdenebi, 36, a history and geography teacher, was a typical diner: young, French, Muslim, dynamic – and furious. According to Abdenebi, France has let its Muslim population down. "They said to us, 'Do your studies, and you will get a job.' We did our studies but there were no jobs and they said we hadn't done the right studies. Each time there was a new obstacle."

Instead of being integrated and treated with equality, Abdenebi says the halal row shows the extent to which France's Muslims are being made to feel like "the enemy within".

Similar complaints were being heard across France. President Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to make the labelling of halal meat pivotal to his re-election campaign has infuriated, alienated and dismayed France's Muslim community, which may number as many as six million, and the backlash is growing. Members of the booming educated and entrepreneurial Muslim middle class say they are tired of being cast as scapegoats in Sarkozy's wooing of the extreme right and have accused him of dangerous and divisive election tactics.

Fateh Kimouche, a high-profile Muslim blogger, said the new class of second- and third-generation Muslims in France was not prepared to lie down and let the French republic roll over it as their parents had done.

"My parents came from Algeria and, like many others, they didn't make a fuss because they felt like invited guests who had to be on their best behaviour. But I was born here. We are Muslims and we are French, but every day we are attacked, insulted and treated like terrorists or extraterrestrials," he said. "France educated us; we have energy and enthusiasm and we have brains, businesses and money. The old generation of politicians don't seem to realise this." » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Saturday, March 10, 2012

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French Premier Reaches Out to Jews, Muslims
TIMES UNION: PARIS (AP) — France's prime minister scrambled Wednesday to dispel concerns in the Jewish and Muslim communities after criticizing the ritual slaughter of animals for kosher and halal meat.

Halal meat in particular has emerged as a hot-button issue in the campaign for presidential elections starting next month in France, a country with at least 5 million Muslims, the largest such population in western Europe.

Francois Fillon's call for religions to "reflect" upon what he called outdated traditions has fed a hyper-charged political atmosphere. His boss, conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, has openly courted far right voters in hopes of boosting his lagging chances of re-election, with digs at Muslim practices and calls to shrink immigration.

But for many, Fillon's comments went too far. He hosted Jewish leaders Wednesday and was expected to meet with Muslim leaders Thursday in what appeared to be an attempt to ease concerns about his comments on French radio this week.

The Jewish leaders he met with Wednesday said Fillon assured them that Judaism wasn't targeted, but insisted they would keep an eye on government policy. France also has a large Jewish community, estimated at about half a million.

Most French are Roman Catholic by heritage, and many French holidays and traditions are linked to Christianity. But for a century the government has professed allegiance to a strict separation of church and state. » | AP | Thursday, March 08, 2012

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François Fillon s'explique à propos des abattages rituels

LE FIGARO: Le premier ministre a reçu le grand rabbin, Gilles Bernheim, et le président du Consistoire central, Joël Mergui, pour revenir sur la polémique liée à sa déclaration à propos du halal et du casher. Ce dernier estime «l'incident clos» mais «reste en alerte».

«L'incident est clos». Au sortir de sa réunion avec François Fillon, le président du Consistoire central, Joël Mergui, a calmé la polémique née des propos du chef du gouvernement concernant l'abattage rituel des animaux. S'exprimant mardi sur Europe 1, le premier ministre avait déclaré que les abattages casher et halal étaient «des traditions ancestrales, qui ne correspondent plus à grand-chose alors qu'elles correspondaient dans le passé à des problèmes d'hygiène». » | Par lefigaro.fr | mercredi 07 mars 2012

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François Fillon s'en prend au halal et au casher
LE POINT: Le Premier ministre a suggéré aux juifs et aux musulmans de revenir sur des "traditions ancestrales".

En pleine polémique sur la viande halal, François Fillon a provoqué lundi la colère du Crif en suggérant aux juifs et aux musulmans de revenir sur les "traditions ancestrales" d'abattage rituel des animaux, qui ne correspondent plus aujourd'hui "à grand-chose". Lundi matin, le Premier ministre, s'exprimant à titre personnel, a estimé sur Europe 1 que "les religions devaient réfléchir au maintien de traditions qui n'ont plus grand-chose à voir avec l'état aujourd'hui de la science, l'état de la technologie, les problèmes de santé".

Ces déclarations ont suscité le mécontentement du président du Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France (Crif), Richard Prasquier, dont l'organisation entretient de bonnes relations avec Nicolas Sarkozy. "J'ai été choqué de l'entendre s'exprimer ainsi", "la déclaration de François Fillon est stupéfiante", a déclaré Richard Prasquier. "Même s'il dit que c'est à titre personnel qu'il s'exprime, quand on est Premier ministre, on a une parole officielle. Nous sommes dans un pays de séparation de l'Église et de l'État", a rappelé Richard Prasquier. » | Le Point.fr | mardi 06 mars 2012

EUROPE 1: Abattage rituel : juifs et musulmans en colère – Les représentants de ces deux religions regrettent les propos de François Fillon. » | Par Europe1.fr avec Stéphane Grand et AFP | mardi 06 mars 2012

Italy: First 'Halal' Firm to Supply Restaurants and Canteens

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (AKI): Bologna - Italy's first-ever 'halal' supplier has opened for business in Italy's northern city of Bologna, selling meals prepared according to Islamic principles to restaurants and canteens in Italy and abroad.

"Integration is also being able to eat as one should and to be at peace with God," Hamza Piccardo, told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Piccardo, an Italian convert to Islam, is the director of the 'Tre Alfieri Halal', which is based in Bologna, a renowned gastronomic centre.

"Our new company wants to be a triumph of integration: to combine Italy's great cuisine and Islam's rules without losing the flavours of the former and the spiritual rigour of the latter," he said. » | AKI | Friday, May 20, 2011

Religious Slaughter: Halal, Kosher

Halal Industrial Park Proposed for South Wales
BBC: An industrial park for Islamic goods and produce, which could mean about 3,000 jobs, might open in south Wales.

News of the proposed £150m Super Halal Industrial Park (SHIP) was revealed at an Islamic finance summit in London.

Mahesh Jayanarayan, chairman of Halal Industries, said Wales was chosen as the project's site for its meat industries and affordable land prices.

The assembly government said they were "tenative proposals" and and it would work closely with the firm.

The firm, a private equity company, said it was raising funds for the venture, which could launch in three to five years.

Mr Jayanarayan told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit that Europe has no Halal industrial parks, despite being home to millions of Muslims.

Halal is an Arabic term meaning "permissible" and while it is often associated with meat, it refers to anything that is permissible in the Islamic faith.

The industrial park could create up to 3,000 jobs and would make the UK a landmark Halal centre for the region, Mr Jayanarayan told the finance summit.

It would provide services like storage freezers, a product packing centre, and raw material storage for manufacturers for food production. Meat selection and processing as well as research and development would also be offered.

Mr Jayanarayan said: "If you look at some figures, the halal sector in the UK is worth between £2bn to £4bn, the majority of that is imported.

"You have 2.5 billion people on the planet eating halal food, directly or indirectly," he told the summit.

"This halal market is not going away, it is not some fad. >>> | Tuesday, February 16, 2010

SOUTH WALES EVENING POST: Industrial park plan puts jobs boost on cards: AN industrial park that could create 1,500 jobs is on the cards for a site in Carmarthenshire or Neath. >>> | Tuesday, March 23, 2010

BNP Criticised for Prejudice Over Halal Jobs
SOUTH WALES EVENING POST: THE British National Party has been accused of putting their "narrow prejudice before the chance of good jobs" after vowing to oppose a major development earmarked for the region.

Carmarthenshire and Neath have been named as the preferred home for a proposed £150 million Super Halal Industrial Park, said to promise around 1,500 jobs.

But the BNP say they will fight the plans because the jobs would be given to Muslims.

Writing on our website, Kevin Edwards, BNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Aberavon, said: "If the people of Wales think this will provide employment for them then they must think again. If this is given the go ahead the vast majority of jobs created will have to be allocated to Muslims."

Mr Edwards, a Penygroes community councillor, added: "The Welsh Assembly has a shameful record of handing out grants to companies that have fled as soon as the money has gone.

"When this happens, as it inevitably will, 'the industrial estate' will wind up and there will be 5,000 more Muslims in the UK claiming benefits and living on our doorsteps.

"Only the British National Party will oppose this development."

Criticism of how halal meat is produced has also sparked debate.

Traditionally, halal meat is killed by hand without stunning the animal first, and then blessed by the person doing the job, although some Muslims say a mechanised form is also now acceptable.

Julie Richards, from Pontarddulais, said: "It is absolutely barbaric. Lambs are going to be strung up and bled to death. It is not humane." >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010

Un Quick halal attaqué par des porcs

Islam in the USA: Halal Meals on Wheels Offered in Parts of Wayne County (Michigan)
THE DETROIT NEWS: Program, believed to be first in nation, caters to homebound Muslims in Wayne County

Dearborn -- Mariam Wehbe lives alone and can no longer stand on her feet to prepare her meals. A devout Muslim, she needs to eat dishes that meet religious requirements, but her options are limited.

That's why Wehbe, 70, is glad to be part of Michigan's first halal Meals on Wheels program. The program, which is also believed to be the first in the nation, provides meals made with meat butchered using a process outlined in the Quran, the religious text of Islam.

The pilot program serves about 20 seniors and was launched last month in Dearborn, one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S., but it is available to southern and western Wayne County residents who qualify. >>> Kim Kozlowski | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Plainte contre le Quick halal
leJDD.fr: Beaucoup de bruit pour un hamburger halal. La ville de Roubaix a décidé de porter de plainte pour "discrimination" contre la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick, qui expérimente, notamment dans la ville du Nord, des restaurants servant uniquement des produits répondant aux rites d'abattage musulmans.

Le hamburger halal est dur à avaler pour la ville de Roubaix qui, après un début de polémique, a décidé de porter plainte. La décision de la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick de vendre exclusivement de la nourriture halal dans huit de ses 350 restaurants français, dans le cadre d'une "expérimentation", est fortement critiquée par la mairie roubaisienne, qui héberge un restaurant uniquement halal. Elle s'estime lésée et a déposé plainte auprès du procureur pour "discrimination", a déclaré à l'agence de presse Reuters, jeudi, son avocat Franck Berton. Ce dernier explique qu'il y a un problème juridique car la société a choisi, à ses yeux, de manière discriminatoire les huit sites pour ses restaurants halal, car ils concernent des lieux où la population musulmane est importante. Le porc y est remplacé par de la dinde et le reste de la viande est conforme aux rites d'abattage musulmans. >>> V.V. (avec Reuters) | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

France : Les hamburgers halal de Quick font grincer des dents
20MINUTES.ch: La décision de la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick de ne proposer que des hamburgers halal dans huit de ses établissements en France fait grincer des dents dans la classe politique, notamment au sein du parti de droite du président Nicolas Sarkozy.

Le halal désigne tout ce qui est autorisé par le Coran aux musulmans pratiquants, notamment le rituel pour abattre la viande. Le secrétaire général de l'UMP, Xavier Bertrand, a déclaré mercredi ne «pas apprécier» «tout ce qui peut s'apparenter à du communautarisme», lors d'une interview aux médias LCP, France Info et AFP.

«La société française, son histoire, sa culture, ça n'est pas le communautarisme», a abondé le porte-parole du gouvernement, Luc Chatel, sur la radio RTL. Richard Mallié, député UMP des Bouches-du-Rhône (sud) où plusieurs établissements Quick ne proposent plus que de la viande halal, a jugé «scandaleuse» l'attitude de la chaîne qui «ne laisse pas de choix aux clients non musulmans». >>> afp | Mercredi 17 Février 2010

Quick : Chaine de restauration rapide >>>

Quick en France >>>

French Fast Food Chain Makes Menus Halal
THE TELEGRAPH: Quick, one of France's most popular fast food chains, has taken pork off the menu at eight of its restaurants, turning them into halal-only outlets.

The chain has replaced bacon with smoked halal turkey in restaurants in three branches in a Paris suburb, two in Marseille, and the remainder in Toulouse, Villeurbanne, near Lyon, and Roubaix, northern France – all of them areas with high Muslim populations.

These restaurants now serve only halal food, seen as permissible according to Islamic law. The company said the move was part of a test, which began in November, and that pork may return to the menu at a later date.

However, it has sparked angry reactions from Catholic groups. A comment on E-Deo, a Catholic website, said: "Quick is in the process of inventing fast-islamisation".

Citing its outlet in Villeurbanne, a Quick spokesman said that no customers were "obliged" to eat halal meat, as "in parallel, we have 10 Quick restaurants in the Lyon area" offering "classic menus".

Some Muslim customers welcomed the move in one branch in Roubaix, northern France. "I'm happy, as I can come with my Muslim friends," said Farid, 17. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, February 15, 2010

Allowed by Allah. Acceptable to Allah. Not forbidden: حلال
Halal Is Big Business: Germany Waking up to Growing Market for Muslim Food
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany has four million Muslim inhabitants but the market for halal food -- produced according to Islamic law -- is still in its infancy, partly because firms fear the wrath of animal rights groups. But companies are slowly waking up to this fast-growing market.

Gehlenberg is a sleepy village in northern Germany. It has a population of 1,600 and boasts a church, community hall, war memorial and a pub, along with a few wooden crosses by the roadside and a tiny chapel. It's a staunchly Catholic village, but on three days of the week, the Prophet Muhammad makes the rules -- in a white factory building on the outskirts of the village, that is. That is where the Meemken family business produces a broad range of sausage that follows Islamic food standards. The company supplies almost 100 tons of salami and various other types of sausage each week to food retailers in Germany and abroad.

International food companies such as Nestle and Unilever have for years offered a range of products that meet so-called halal food standards. Halal is an Arabic term that means pure, or permissible. The term refers to a way of life that follows Islamic law. German companies are gradually realizing that catering to faith-oriented consumption is a good way to make money. In these times of economic crisis, finding new markets is more tempting than ever.

The potential market for halal food in Germany is huge. An estimated four million Muslims live in Germany, and the community is pre-programmed to grow because Muslims have a higher birth rate than non-Muslims. Halal already accounts for 17 percent of the global food market, according to the World Halal Forum based in Malaysia.

Food Companies Worried About Animal Rights Groups

Market experts say the halal segment is growing faster than any other part of the food market. Sales of food that meets Islamic standards are expected to reach $641 billion in 2010, up from $587 billion in 2004. The European halal food market is expected to reach sales of $67 billion in 2010.

Food companies in other European countries with many Muslim residents have already adapted to their needs. In France, the Casino chain of supermarkets supplies halal meat products. In Britain, halal food is easily found in the top chains like Tesco and Sainsbury's. French delicatessen stores sell halal goose liver pate and British pharmacy retailer Boots sells halal baby food. It's a different story in Germany, where supermarkets offer only a meagre range of halal food. … >>> Daniela Schröder | Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Halal Food: Cut-throat Competition
THE ECONOMIST: Feeding Europe’s Muslims is a growing business

JUST before the beginning of Ramadan, the month-long Muslim fast which ends this weekend, an unusual advertisement appeared on French television. Panzani, a pasta-maker, was touting its Zakia line of halal ready-meals. In a secular nation it seemed like “a little revolution”, as Le Parisien, a newspaper, put it. The French can presumably take it in their stride. The trade in halal food is growing fast, and is likely to continue to do so.

Big food producers have long catered to Muslims, a market worth some $630 billion globally according to KasehDia, a consulting company that specialises in the trade. Nestlé has produced halal goods since the 1980s; 75 of its 456 factories now have a halal certification. But only recently have big European shops followed suit. Carrefour, the world’s second-largest retailer, launched a new range of products just in time for Ramadan. Casino, a French supermarket chain, has a halal line, and British outfits Tesco and Sainsbury’s carry halal products. KFC, an American fast-food chain, is conducting a trial of halal food in eight of its British restaurants. All its French ones are already halal certified.

The main reason for growth is demographic. Although many European countries do not tally Muslims or any other religious group (estimates in France range from 4m to 7m) it is clear that Muslim populations have grown quickly as a result of immigration and higher birth rates. Many of the people who sought asylum in Western Europe in the first half of this decade were Muslims from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Mohammed, Muhammad and Mohammad were all among the 100 most popular baby boys’ names in England and Wales last year. >>> | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Halal Focus >>>

Halal Ads Hit French TV
Halal butchery and poultry shelves in a supermarket in Illzach, France, on the eve of the beginning of Ramadan. Photo: TIME
TIME: A pack of shoppers swarm supermarket shelves, cheerfully snapping up packages of prepared lasagna, ravioli and paella as they sing the products' praises. Sounds just like a normal evening TV ad. And it is, only this one features ethnic-Arab actors in a commercial for halal food in France. A first in its own right, the ad is already a remarkable sight on French TV. But even more surprising is the reaction it's gotten — or, rather, hasn't gotten. In a country that's usually quick to burst into outrage over the spread of Islam into secular society, these halal-food ads have been playing without a peep from the public.

The ad campaign by Panzani-owned, Lyon-based food brand Zakia Halal is the first ever mass-market promotion of halal food to France's estimated 5 million Muslims. The TV spots kicked off on Aug. 17 to coincide with the start of the holy month of Ramadan and have been running on most of France's largest television channels since. The $430,000 campaign will be put on pause Sept. 2, then resumed as Ramadan comes to an end later this month and the feast of Eid el-Fitr approaches. Thus far, the spots have gotten a mostly supportive reaction from Muslim shoppers and the French media, with the daily Le Parisien trumpeting "Halal Takes a Spot on TV."

What's astounding is how long it took for any of France's numerous makers of halal food products to embrace this kind of mass marketing. Studies done by ethnic-marketing consultancy Solis Conseil in Paris estimate that French Muslims currently purchase about $5.7 billion worth of specialized foodstuffs and related products — a market that's been increasing nearly 15% annually for almost a decade. Solis has also found that nearly 94% of all Muslims in France with North African roots — by far the largest group of Muslims in the country — buy exclusively halal food. A recent poll by the Ifop agency found that 70% of Muslims in France are observing Ramadan this year — leaving little doubt as to the thinking behind the timing of Zakia Halal's groundbreaking ad campaign.

"Even though people have to fast during the day, Muslims tend to eat more — and better — when they can eat during Ramadan, which is why it is traditionally a period of peak consumer activity," explains Abbas Bendali, director of Solis Conseil. "Zakia's timing makes good sense because people tend to be short on time during Ramadan and will use prepared dishes along with fresh food for meals. And when you consider the size and value of this demographic, using mass-market methods to promote halal products becomes logical too." But it's also potentially inflammatory, given the tendency of the French to view overt manifestations of Islamic faith as a threat to the nation's tradition of secularity. >>> Bruce Crumley, Paris | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Coca-Cola sous la pression d'associations musulmanes
LE FIGARO: Rumeurs et campagnes d'opinion obligent les grandes marques à certifier que leurs produits sont compatibles avec l'islam.

Tout commence il y a deux ans, par une rumeur insistante : le Coca-Cola contiendrait de l'alcool. Accusation farfelue mais immédiatement reprise par les sites musulmans, de forums en articles plus ou moins étayés. Associations et médias communautaires, dont le blog Al-Kanz, très en vogue, assaillent Coca-Cola France de questions. Et reçoivent une réponse standard : «Nos boissons sont reconnues comme non alcoolisées par les autorités gouvernementales de chaque pays.» Une missive qui laisse insatisfaits les plus intransigeants. La législation française considère en effet qu'une boisson est «sans alcool» lorsqu'elle en contient moins de 1,2 %. Qu'en est-il alors du fameux breuvage à la recette secrète ?

Après quelques hésitations, la direction de Coca-Cola France décide de faire appel à «l'organisme de certification de la mosquée de Paris», explique Philippe Marty le porte-parole de la firme. Celle-ci commande une analyse du Coca par un laboratoire indépendant. «Ensuite, nous avons garanti que Coca Cola était parfaitement sans alcool et donc halal», détaille le chef de la certification à la mosquée, Al Sid Cheikh, qui regrette de voir fleurir «beaucoup d'accusations sans aucun fondement religieux. C'est plutôt politique. Mais les sociétés s'inquiètent pour leur notoriété». >>> C. G. | Jeudi 20 Août 2009

Keep the Faith: Should Muslim Children Receive Sex Education?
THE INDEPENDENT: A group run by a member of a radical Islamic organisation is opposing plans to give five-year-olds sex education.

In an underground hall at the London Central Mosque in Regent Street, a group of parents sitting on plastic chairs is clustered around a power point. A small, neatly dressed man at the front welcomes them, introducing himself as Yusuf Patel. "As Muslims we believe in values," he says, "We believe in haraam and halal, but sex and relationship education (SRE) teaching in this country does not provide this. It is the responsibility of parents to see their children educated, but not at the expense of these values."

Patel's organisation, SREIslamic, was established eight months ago to encourage Muslims to respond to the Government's consultation about whether to make SRE compulsory and extend it to five-year-olds. Since then, the organisation claims, it has held 40 workshops across the country and collected tens of thousands of signatures from Muslims opposed to the measures.

But Patel is not only a concerned parent and campaigner. According to his website, he is also a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organisation that Tony Blair considered banning in 2005. Patel's brother, Jalaluddin, is the former UK head of the political party, which is barred in countries including Germany, Russia and Egypt. Should we be concerned that, like other far-right or religious groups in Britain, SREIslamic might be using a sensitive community grievance to pursue a wider political agenda?

Although Hizb ut-Tahrir says it does not advocate violence, it is opposed to Western-style democracy and believes in establishing a global caliphate under sharia law. There is no evidence of its involvement in terrorism, but some of its members have defended terrorist acts abroad, most recently when a member described Pakistani militants as "brothers". >>> Lila Green | Thursday, July 23, 2009

Chicken Injected with Beef Waste Sold in UK
Image: Google Images
THE INDEPENDENT: Muslims and Jews conned into eating meat bulked out with cow and pig products

Cafes and restaurants across Britain have been selling chicken secretly injected with beef and pork waste, The Independent can reveal today.

In a hi-tech fraud run by firms in three EU states, food manufacturers are making bulking agents out of porcine and bovine gristle and bones that help inflate chicken breasts, so that they fetch a higher price.

The swindle was only detected by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) using new scientific techniques because the non-chicken material had been so highly processed it passed standard DNA tests.

Thousands of restaurateurs and cafe owners are likely to have been conned into buying chicken containing the powder – which binds water into chicken breasts – while diners have been unwittingly consuming traces of other animals when eating out.

Britain's two million Muslims, Jews and Hindus are forbidden from eating either pork or beef. Muslims would ordinarily eat halal chicken and Jews kosher chicken sold through approved caterers and butchers. >>> By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, June 04, 2009