OK. I went to the Butterball website and there is no such article about the turkeys being halal or being slaughtered facing mecca. This looks like an urban legend email.
From what I see here, some folks should use the Reynolds Wrap for hats instead of wrapping around their Butterball turkey.
It's not an AMERICAN SITE. When it comes to Islamic information sites in Australia or UK, those ol'boys don't necessarily speak to conditions in America.
We simply don't have enough Moslems living in clusters that anyone can support the "facing Mecca" business referred to at that site. The Moslems in America are lucky enough to be assured the animals were slaughtered in the way animals are lawfully slaughtered in America and they were not dedicated to an idol or different God.
BTW, I live in a neighborhood with 5 ~ (COUNT THEM 1 2 3 4 5) ~ halal butcher shops.
During Ramadan they go out and slaughter the animals themselves at farms where provisions for slaughter have been made. During other times of year the Orthodox and the Jews engage in a similar practice at the same farms. A friend of mine's father in law owned one ~ it started out devoted to serving the needs of Orthodox Jews then, to make it profitable, they expanded to Orthodox Christians, and in later years to Moslems.
If you slaughter your own animals (or hunt game) you can make whatever blessings you feel appropriate.
That's the end of the story. Otherwise, animal slaughter is very much a Godless, Soulless, Impersonal, brutal ~ BUT HUMANE ~ end to an animal's life and the beginning of it's manifestation as food.
Praise God that we may eat.
This year, today in fact, I slaughtered our Thanksgiving turkey. This was a first for me. I bought two of them, one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas. The slaughter was most definately NOT halal, or even kosher for that matter.
The fat bastard is 53 lbs dressed out. Going to start him at about 8pm tomorrow night for a noon family meal.
Followed by weeks of leftovers.
;o)
..but I thought ALL turkeys were beheaded before cooking...
“Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. . . . But if anyone says to you, ‘This is meat sacrificed to idols,’ do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks? Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - I Cor. 10 NASB
How do they get all the live turkeys to face Mecca??
Not saying it can’t be done, just questioning the logistics of lopping off the heads of thousands of turkeys facing Mecca.
(saw a documentary on chicken prep once. Just don’t see how it’s possible. Maybe Butterballs just lying to the Muslims)
Halal certification includes fees that those being certified pay on a yearly basis
HALAL CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE
1. Please fill out the application form online or obtained through e-mail or fax.
2. Initial discussion on phone about the Halal requirements, plant inspection, explanation about the steps involve in Halal certification, discussion about your products, marketing area, raw material, processing aid ingredients, your HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) program, Recall procedure, packaging materials, warehouse and sanitation materials including the Master Sanitation schedule and POG (Process Operating Guidelines) for Halal certified food products.
3. If your products pass the Halal requirements then a contract is signed including number of inspection per year, record keeping, and number of products to be Halal certified and service fees for Halal certification.
http://www.muslimconsumergroup.com/certification_procedure.html
Zabiha Halal meat is meat slaughtered by slitting the throat of the animal. In this context, however, it is used to mean meat slaughtered by a Muslim using the properly prescribed method as is indicated in the Sunnat-an-Nabi
Halal Certification of Gold Kist chicken processor that certifies that the bird is killed by slitting the throat and then blessed.
http://www.zabihakfc.com/slaughter%20certificate.pdf
Ping
Happy Thanksgiving, and Salaam Alekum and all that jazz.
PING!