Posted on 01/10/2020 6:00:35 PM PST by nickcarraway
Can you be vegan and Muslim? Sumaya and Mara think so, but often have to defend their beliefs.
"What?! You are vegan?….VEGAN?!… What's next… taking off your hijab?!"
That's how Sumaya's mum reacted when she told her she was vegan.
"I wish I recorded her! Her whole body language changed. It was like I'd murdered someone," says Sumaya, who's 18 and from west London.
"I was like 'Mum, I haven't murdered anyone. If you think about it… I've done the complete opposite."
Like many in Britain today, Sumaya proudly carries many identities. British. Hijab-wearing Muslim woman. Somalian. And most recently, vegan.
SNIP
There aren't recorded numbers for vegan Muslims but, when Muslims discuss their veganism, they're often on the receiving end of baffled reactions. This is partly because these two lifestyles aren't commonly associated, and partly because there can sometimes be a perceived conflict between these two sets of ideals.
In Islam, eating meat is regarded as halal, which means Muslims are allowed to do it under the rules of their religion. Some Muslims believe that rejecting what has been allowed by the word of God is haram (the opposite of halal – against the wishes of God).
Sumaya soon had personal experience of this conflict. She kept her veganism secret from her family for six months until one night when her dad bought her a well-meaning treat – a bucket of fried chicken.
She was 16 at the time, and she'd injured her ankle, so her dad wanted to do something nice. "When he came home, he called me over and there it was…" she remembers. "'It's your favourite' he kindly uttered to me."
What had been hunger just minutes before had now been replaced by an intense feeling of anxiety in the pit of Sumaya's stomach.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Freedom of choice is anathema to Islam. It’s almost like she became a Hindu.
misleading title...
anything processed is plant based...
There are plenty of processed meats and meat products. What is bacon? Hotdogs? Deli meats? All processed. “Plant-based” simply means food that has grown from the ground and has no animal products in it. “Plant-based” can be processed foods or whole foods.
Sikh?
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