50 Shades of Halal, and the people of the Book.
That there is only one kind of halal.
This is an interesting, and naive notion that one can try to practice if you are able to turn off all your senses and just follow.
We used to laugh at the kosher section in some stores that sold "kosher soap" and "kosher candles" and "kosher cutlery".
This was so clearly a case of "Rabi's gone wild".
Soon afterwards we ourselves began to question sweets, and white sugar and dairy products, and places that washed their cutlery with alcohol, and it was clear that everything that came from stores that weren't owned and run by people of the one faith, was not halal.
The abattoir that slaughters our red meat is not owned and run by people of the one faith, but that doesn't stop us from buying a steak at an approved restaurant. Or at least it didn't the last time I checked.
Some years ago the local market was flooded with lamb from New Zealand and other countries. The meat was certified by the halal authorities in the countries of origin but our local bodies would not allow us to call the meat halal.
Soon halal butcheries were unable to compete in the marketplace with the big chains who supplemented the local meat with imported "halal" meat.
When all but a few of halal butchers went out of business the local bodies decided to approve the "halal status" of most of the imported lamb.
It turned out to be a case of "too little, too late" as most of the mom and pop operations had failed.
The "last men standing" in this battle were the national chains who didn't care if their product was certified or not.
Odd that it had all been halal all along.
Clearly, there are at least 50 shades of halal.
When it's said that there is no need to go to doubtful places when we have halal alternatives from people of the faith, I wonder if they mean the shish kebabs from immigrant entrepreneurs who have often had to fight battles with health officials to bring down their rat, poop, cat, dog content.
I would trust the person of faith working at McDonald's before I trust them some of the seedy places that are run by people of the faith.
Alternately one could take the long view and join me for coffee and cake at the Fego, in Exclusive Books Pavillion.
(people of the book).
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