Posted on 12/17/2005 9:01:21 PM PST by LibWhacker
By TREVOR PADDENBURG 18dec05
A WA hospital has scrubbed baked ham from its Christmas menu, fearing Muslim patients could be offended.
It has also overhauled its entire menu so that all meals are now halal – containing only meat and other food prepared according to Muslim customs.
But Port Hedland Regional Hospital staff and many non-Muslim patients are outraged, saying it is a case of political correctness gone mad.
Kitchen staff are so angry that they have organised a petition demanding ham be put back on the Christmas menu.
Other WA hospitals are also introducing halal dining, though the Health Department says Port Hedland is the only one to convert its entire menu to suit Muslims.
Hospital directors decided to axe the traditional festive season baked ham because of the high percentage of Muslim patients.
Eating pork or ham is forbidden under Muslim custom.
Until now, Muslims were asked to supply their own food if they did not want to eat hospital fare.
The hospital's nursing director, Judy Davis, said though ham was not on the menu, Christian patients would not miss out on festive cheer.
"We'll still make Christmas special – we've got prawns and all sorts of other special treats," she said.
But one long-time Port Hedland hospital worker told The Sunday Times the menu change was "unAustralian".
"It's going to be a boring old Christmas lunch for the patients," he said.
"After all, what's Christmas without a ham, or Sunday morning without bacon and eggs?
"The management of the hospital are unable to stand up to a minority and keep our Australian way of life intact. They are bowing to the pressure of a select few."
He warned that the only politically correct fare would soon be "a bowl of rice and a cup of tea".
"No wonder the true-blue Australians are getting angry," he said.
"Now all we need is for someone of the Hindu faith to jump up and down and we'll have no beef.
"Before we know it, if you're sick in Port Hedland, you will have to be happy with a diet of boiled rice and a cup of tea."
A Health Department spokeswoman said the menu change was about meeting the needs of the Islamic community.
She denied it meant sacrificing Christian traditions.
"Port Hedland has one of the largest Muslim communities outside the capital cities of Australia, and has done so for many years," the spokeswoman said.
"Changes to the menu meant pork and ham were no longer offered to patients.
"However, other meat and alternatives are available."
She said no patients had complained, but the Health Department was aware that staff at Port Hedland were unhappy.
"We are aware that staff would like ham for Christmas lunch, and this will be provided by the hospital," the spokeswoman said.
"The majority of hospitals try to take into account the different patient mix when deciding on their menu, and offer several choices."
Liberalism truly is a mental disorder.
I dare not imagine the halal method of butchering meat. I suppose it begins with facing the poor animal toward the East...and there is a large knife involved...
Feed 'em ham! Let them see how well true believers eat!
mind boggling ridiculousness
Coming soon to your neighborhood government school in America!
Just damn.
Soon, we are going to have to round up and confine all liberals as a matter of self-preservation.
You got that right (see tagline)
Pray for our Allies in Australia, the enemy is within the gates!
Merry Christmas Ping! (It's your list AAC)
Don't forget Western Australia has a Labor Government. We can't expect anything else but PC lunacy!
Make it Kosher too. Gosh, why hasn't the Hosptial gone Kosher long before should signal a racist vien in the ruling body of this organization.
LOL....maybe this will make people MAD, finally.....when you start fussing with food....lookout!
Coming soon to a hospital near us?
I pinged your list, but of course you're not on it! (see #12)....No HAM for Christmas...Indeed!
We're having a PORK festival for the holidays: Loin of Pork, a spiral smoked Ham, and a Krakus (Polish) canned ham...mmmmmm!
Soon, we are going to have to round up and confine all liberals as a matter of self-preservation.
I like the idea of huge stockyards for liberals.
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