Parents protest at school's 'Halal-only' lunch (UK)

Daily Mail ^ | 9 February 2007

[Lorianne]

Furious parents staged protests outside a school over its decision to serve up only halal meat at lunchtimes.

Staff were forced to call the police after one father strode into the school in North London to challenge the new meals policy.

More here... • Muslim organisation offers to help school ban full-face veil

Kingsgate Primary in West Hampstead is among growing numbers of schools with high Muslim populations to use halal-only meat in cooking.

But the menus, which will feature only meat that has been slaughtered in the halal way with a single cut to the throat, have not always been well received.

At Kingsgate, parents carrying placards congregated at the school gates to demand a reversal of the policy, claiming their children would be denied a choice.

But the protests triggered claims of racism from parents of Muslim children, who make up three quarters of the school population.

Yesterday headmistress Liz Hayward was refusing to back down, insisting that a majority of parents had backed the move to halal-only menus in a comprehensive survey of families.

But protesting parents accused her of forcing their children to to conform to "someone else's culture".

Mother Jacqueline Gomm said: "I sent my kids to this school because I don't want them to be affected by religion.

"We can't force our culture on someone else because that's not right so we shouldn't have someone else's culture forced on us.

"The little culture that we have is being lost. I don't know any other country that would do the same."

She added: "I totally deny being guilty of racism.

"We allow people to come into this country and we end up being in a minority.

"We accommodate other cultures at the expense of ours."

Staff at Kingsgate were forced to take phones off the hook after abusive callers claimed to be from the British National Party.

Miss Gomm insisted: "The phone calls from the BNP had nothing to do with us.

"But the sad thing is many people will turn to them because they feel there is no other choice."

One father claims he was threatened with arrest if he steps inside Kingsgate grounds after entering the school to challenge the head's claims over the results of the parental survey on halal meat.

Neville Grant said: "I went to the school to protest because I didn't believe the statistics but the headteacher refused to show me them.

"The next thing I know is when my daughter called me and said that three police cars and a van had pulled up outside my house.

"I'm a next of kin for my son and now I can't even go into the school. It's outrageous."

However one Muslim parent, Solveig Francis, accused the protesters of "naked racism", adding: "It's got nothing to do with choice.

"When you listen to what they say about English culture being imposed upon and so on, it really does give it away.

"They talk about keeping up English values - but the most important value we have is democracy. It's about time that was upheld."

The halal method of slaughtering animals involves blessing them before cutting through the large arteries in the neck with one swipe of a blade.

All blood is then drained away since the consumption of blood is forbidden under Islamic law.

Some animal rights activists have claimed the halal method is less humane than modern slaughtering techniques where the animal is stunned before being killed.

But Muslims believe halal is the most painless method since the neck is severed quickly, preventing the livestock feeling pain.

A spokeswoman from Camden Council denied Mr Grant had been banned from the school.

She added that Kingsgate was among four schools in the borough to have opted for halal-only menus.

She said: "There will also be a vegetarian choice and a jacket potato with toppings of choose, beans or fish, so there is always a hot, healthy option available for all children."

[Diogenesis]

In London, on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Development Bank:
"I am certain that with the support of the Islamic Development Bank
my charities will be able to increase their efforts to address the challenges
we face in Britain's cities and help those younger British Muslims
who feel they have little or no stake in society to play a fuller part
in the country's affairs by promoting community and entrepreneurial development."
[Jan. 26, 2006, Charles-the-Tampon-Wannabe, The Islamic Prince of Wales]

To 800 Islamic scholars and terrorists at Cairo's Al-Azhar University
"The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons
shows the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious
and sacred to others. In my view, the true mark of a civilised society
is the respect it pays to minorities and to strangers."
[Mar. 21, 2006, Charles-the-Tampon-Wannabe, The Islamic Prince of Wales]

At the Al Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
"I think we need to recover the depth, the subtlety, the generosity of imagination,
the respect for wisdom that so marked Islam in its great ages. ...
What is so distinctive of the great ages of faith surely was that they understood,
as well as sacred texts ... the meaning of God's word for all time and its meaning for this time. …
it was Islam's greatness to understand this in its full depth and challenge. This is what you ...
can give not only to Islam but by example to all the other children of Abraham."
[Mar. 25, 2006, Charles-the-Tampon-Wannabe, The Islamic Prince of Wales]

[Squawk 8888]

Pack a bacon sandwich in the kids' lunches. It would be a great way of ensuring that the kids have a table to themselves...

[L98Fiero]

"When you listen to what they say about English culture being imposed upon and so on, it really does give it away."

What gives it away is your comment goat-lady. "We few should not conform to England's many, England's many should conform to our few."

[GeorgiaDawg32]

coming soon to an american school near you..(if we're not careful)..

[ReignOfError]

coming soon to an american school near you..(if we're not careful)..

I'd be willing to bet that there are already American public schools with an all-kosher menu. The requirements are pretty much the same.

[lilylangtree]

Deport the islamics back to their country and let them have all the halal food they want.

[Viking2002]

"The little culture that we have is being lost. I don't know any other country that would do the same."

It's a bit late to lament the bullet heading down the barrel after you knowingly put the gun to your temple and pulled the trigger. Britain is probably doomed.

[tet68]

a jacket potato with toppings of choose, beans or fish,

Hmmmm, that's a tough choose, I'll try the Idaho with fish topping please...

[Chode]

it's okydoke with the Queen and her ClownPrince, as they are the defenders of England and the church and all that, so why should their subjects mind giving up their country to the goathumpers???

[SandRat]

A Ham and Cheese sandwich would work too.

[silentreignofheroes]

coming soon to an american school near you..(if we're not careful)..


I'll be Damm,,South Alabam...!!!

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Diversity means that no matter who you are, where you come from or what you believe in, you're just not good enough.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

the menus, which will feature only meat that has been slaughtered in the halal way with a single cut to the throat,

hmmm, where are the leftist animal rights wackos?

[BfloGuy]

I'm concerned about resistance from immigrants to assimilating to the dominant culture, too. But (and please tell me if I'm mistaken) if halal only refers to the manner in which the animal is slaughtered but doesn't limit the ultimate menu, who cares?

My employer sells liquid CO2 to Pepsi, Coke and other large bottlers to carbonate their products. We have several plants that offer Kosher CO2, that is, it's blessed by a rabbi and thus the Coca-Cola is "kosher."

The result is that many good Christians and atheists alike are drinking kosher soda pop. Who cares? Is that any different from eating halal beef?

Seems to me there are a lot more important issues in the war against terror than this one.

[Eva]

Maybe we could send them a few of our naked PETA freaks to march in protest around the school. The Islamists would love that.

[Las Vegas Ron]

But the protests triggered claims of racism from parents of Muslim children, who make up three quarters of the school population.

Excuse me? Muslim is a race now?

[Las Vegas Ron]

"a single cut to the throat"

Seems to be a common occurrence in the ROP

[incredulous joe]

We've opted out of America's public school system,...now we're just trying to figure out a way to get our money (taxes) back.

How's that homeschool movement in the UK?

[The_Media_never_lie]

The picture of Prince Charles in the little organ grinder hat says it all.