What do you make of this?

[AppleBlossom]

I do think this is more about the meat really. I think the issue is more should our country be catering for other religions and cultures.

That's my problem really. The meat issue in itself doesn't bother me

 

[Blah11]

I think we should be accepting of cultures to a certain degree and try and accomodate where we can.
xx

Agree. I remember when we were in primary we celebrated diwali, christmas, hannuka and were taught about ramadan cos we had muslim children who obviously were fasting and not eating during break and lunchs.

 

[suzanne108]

Also, I'd rather live in a world with no religion because I dont believe in God but that doesn't mean I wont go to a church wedding, celebrate christmas, pray in a mosque etc etc I don't think it's a bad thing to be flexible with things like the meat we eat in schools. Its not a huge deal to our kids to eat halal meat but to not eat halal meat is a massssive deal to the muslim children.

I agree with this completely.

The religion issue doesn't bother me in the slightest.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

I think we should be accepting of cultures to a certain degree and try and accomodate where we can.
xx

Agree. I remember when we were in primary we celebrated diwali, christmas, hannuka and were taught about ramadan cos we had muslim children who obviously were fasting and not eating during break and lunchs.

I remember things like that . I remember some of my friends fasting and the teachers allowing them to go on computers etc during lunch time
xx

 

[blahblahblah]

I do think this is more about the meat really. I think the issue is more should our country be catering for other religions and cultures.

I do have an issue with the meat, but then that's me as a farmers daughter. The descriptions of the methods don't really give the full picture IYKWIM?

Anyway, for me too there are further issues, and as a country I think we should have more of a 'when in Rome' approach. I'm quite happy for people of other cultures and religions to be here and do things differently for themselves, but I don't see why British people should be expected to compromise the British way of life to accommodate them.

I also think that it's complete overkill for schools to change their menu for 7% of their pupils, ignoring the requirements of the other 93%.

 

[sophxx]

i really dont think this is about the meet i thnink its baout peoples culture and religion and us as a country not wanting to change and accept them !

we dont mind what meat we eat and where we eat (resturants take aways ect) if we did we wouldnt eat from mc d kfc indian take awys sub way ect as there all hala (they are where we live)
im veggie so it doesnt affe t me but im glad there chaging this as it is just meat they all come from the same farms but it means my son can now eat meat at school and so can his cousins jist cos of his familys religion they shouldn't be isolted by only having one school meal! isolated
especially as the muslim religion and jewish religion is a very big part of our country now!

 

[sophxx]

I do think this is more about the meat really. I think the issue is more should our country be catering for other religions and cultures.

I do have an issue with the meat, but then that's me as a farmers daughter. The descriptions of the methods don't really give the full picture IYKWIM?

Anyway, for me too there are further issues, and as a country I think we should have more of a 'when in Rome' approach. I'm quite happy for people of other cultures and religions to be here and do things differently for themselves, but I don't see why British people should be expected to compromise the British way of life to accommodate them.

I also think that it's complete overkill for schools to change their menu for 7% of their pupils, ignoring the requirements of the other 93%.

they are britsh though my oh has two Pakistani parents yet he was born here and is britsh so they are britsh people hes never lived any where else this is his country just as much as anyone else


schools round here the 10 % is white bristh as you put it the other are of other heritage but still britsh

 

[blahblahblah]

I do think this is more about the meat really. I think the issue is more should our country be catering for other religions and cultures.

I do have an issue with the meat, but then that's me as a farmers daughter. The descriptions of the methods don't really give the full picture IYKWIM?

Anyway, for me too there are further issues, and as a country I think we should have more of a 'when in Rome' approach. I'm quite happy for people of other cultures and religions to be here and do things differently for themselves, but I don't see why British people should be expected to compromise the British way of life to accommodate them.

I also think that it's complete overkill for schools to change their menu for 7% of their pupils, ignoring the requirements of the other 93%.

they are britsh though my oh has two Pakistani parents yet he was born here and is britsh so they are britsh people hes never lived any where else this is his country just as much as anyone else


schools round here the 10 % is white bristh as you put it the other are of other heritage but still britsh

I know what you mean, it gets complicated when an immigrant then has children - whilst they are British, they tend to follow the lifestyle of their parents country of origin. It's hard to find the right descriptions to get my point across. I hope you kind of get what I mean though. In time past, society catered to the needs of the majority, and if you didn't have the same needs you sorted it out for yourself. In the 60's/70's/80's Muslims in the UK (in fact ANY immigrants) would not have expected anything other than food produced to the UK standard to be on the menu in schools etc. I doubt many/any countries would be prepared to change their methods to such a degree for such a small proportion of the population.

 

[sophxx]

but isnt that what makes our country good being so multi cultural!

alot of muslims find it hard not to follow there parents views as they are so presured my oh is pakistain but im white so that was a big thinh for him to break away the only thing we do have is hala meat it doesnt bother any of my family and we have it as they belive they will go to hell if they eat other meat ( thats not to say some of them dont eat other meat as they can if theres nothing for them to eat) but its mad alot easier for them now we are changing mc d kfc subway ect there all changing!

back in the 60s where we live there was only one asian person at all now we have a big population! so if there was only one or two then you wouldnt expect them to be accomanadted but now its different!

i understand what you mean you just need to word it a little better as it might upset some people who class them self as britsh! xx

 

[suzanne108]

I don't think its "ignoring the requirements of the other 93%" because of that 93% most of them probably wouldn't have a problem eating halal meat.

I'd guess that there are more muslims than people that don't want to eat halal (does that even make sense )

 

[Blah11]

White people can be muslims too btw.. idk why people think religion and race are the same thing?

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I dont really think there should be an option tbh. We probably wouldnt get an option if we went to school over their. I dont think the government has enough money to do 2 separate menus. I am not racist but this country only has itself to blame for alot of problems.

 

[rubywoo77]

Im veggie, hubby and his family are not, LO is not being brought up a veggie - so if there is a halal option on the menu when she goes to school I will gladly take it up , if not then she will eat veggie school meals.

Tbh wheneer this issue is raised( and it raised many time in different guises epecially in papers like daily mail) there is alwaysa subtle undertone to it that you can only pick up on if you are in a minority group (hope that makes sense). As for being British, I class myself as British my parents weren't born here, neither was I incidentally but I came here when I was 8 weeks old, if you heard me I would sound as "english" as the next person, my parents settled here, bought homes here, contributed to the country by working hard and paying their taxes - so I consier myself British but I also happen to be brought up and married to a Practising muslim the 2 things aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[BlackBerry25]

And I am sure, they are probably tax paying citizens, and are a large amount of them, not just one or two students.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

Personally, i don't understand the problem.

People of most faiths and beliefs do not question how an animal is killed because they simply don't care (although, as with everything, there are people that do). However, for those people whose religion requires them to eat halal meat it is a massive issue. It doesn't taste any different so it is only the moral aspect.

It is a different way of killing (i prefer it personally) but slaughter is slaughter, is it not? It only makes a difference if it is a requirement of religion.

As for making changes for other cultures... in my fluffy world with marshmallows for clouds and sherbert rainbows, we would all be able to have access to what we wanted, believe what we want to believe and not fear upsetting anyone. Unlikely to ever happen, but small changes like this are one step closer to it.

I am english and agnostic... should i have to follow the church of england's way of doing things? I don't think i should... i think i should be allowwed to do things my way.

Sometimes polical correctness goes very wrong, but everyone, regardless os race or religion tends to think that. One example is having 'winter lights' instead of Christmas ones. All of my muslim, hindu, sikh, athiest and jewish friends thought it was ridiculous!

 

[coccyx]

No way would I allow my children to eat Halal meat. I DO care that the animal was not stunned before slaughter and death was not 'instant'. Yes my children do eat meat, but I still care about animal welfare.
Think Halal meat should be an option if majority of school are for it. But know from my experience of living in a Middle east country that people who live there would not entertain the idea of pork products no matter how many non muslims lived there

 

[Blah11]

animals and humans dont live long with a slit throat. I dont think it prolongs suffering tbh.

 

[lesleyann]

No way would I allow my children to eat Halal meat. I DO care that the animal was not stunned before slaughter and death was not 'instant'. Yes my children do eat meat, but I still care about animal welfare.
Think Halal meat should be an option if majority of school are for it. But know from my experience of living in a Middle east country that people who live there would not entertain the idea of pork products no matter how many non muslims lived there

i agree with you

 

[Hannaaisha]

I don't see how halal should offend anyone who isn't Muslim. I swear it is the law in the U.K to stun animals even for halal meat. So what is a extra "Bismillah" during the process... does that make it so horrendous all of a sudden? It's horrible to stun animals anyway who wants electrocuted tense muscle meat from hormone filled animals injected with water? Give me halal any day thanks. PS - The animal dies instantly with halal slaughter but I'm pretty sure they would feel an electric shock running through them.

 

[Hannaaisha]

And P.P.S - Yes people do eat pork in the Middle East so stop being uneducated. There are Christians in the Middle East you know.