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T: 0207 820 0444 | F: 0207 840 5811
info@christianmuslimforum.org | www.christianmuslimforum.org

 

Halal Food Statement
17 December 2010

The Christian Muslim Forum is the national organisation bringing together Christians and Muslims to build better relationships and dialogue with each other, as well as with British society generally. We are therefore concerned about unease, as reported in the media, over the presence of unlabelled ‘halal’ (i.e. ‘Islamically permitted’) meat in our supermarkets, and other food outlets. This affects all customers and consumers, those who wish to eat halal meat as well those who not only do not, but also have objections to doing so. There are also concerns about some public authorities which provide only ‘halal’ products in schools and other institutions, albeit with the best of intentions.

We value attempts in our society to make adequate space for people of different religions, and no religion, and that their values and religious needs are respected. Two values widely shared in British society, openness and non-compulsion, are important to both Christianity and Islam. However, the commercial sector and some public authorities do not always take into account the importance of these values in relation to religious and other sensitivities. There are also concerns about animal welfare in relation to slaughter, as religious people we believe that there should be good treatment of animals up to and at the point of slaughter. We therefore offer the following reflections and recommendations to society in general, and specifically to food outlets, catering organisations and public authorities:

Non-compulsion:

 
Openness:

 

Presidents of the Christian Muslim Forum: Rt Revd Dr Richard Cheetham (Co-Chair),Dr Musharraf Hussain OBE, Revd Dr Nicholas Wood, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Rt Revd Paul Hendricks, Shaykh Abbas Ismail, Bishop Donnett Thomas

 

footerChair: Rt Revd Dr Richard Cheetham, Bishop of Kingston | Vice-Chair: Dr Musharraf Hussain OBE, Karimia Institute

Director & Company Secretary: Julian Bond

Patrons: The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury (Founding), M. Shahid Raza OBE

Company Registration 5461960 | Registered Charity No. 1114793