THE spread of halal meat across the UK is disturbing.
I speak not from a religious point of view, but because I don't eat meat.
I don't eat meat because I don't want to be responsible for the death of an animal simply so that I can devour it.
That's my choice and I don't expect anyone to make the same decision simply because I choose to.
Halal meat, on the other hand, is bringing back what I consider to be barbaric practices that I thought we, as a supposed animal-loving country, had eradicated through laws years ago.
In Britain, slaughtering an animal while it is fully conscious is illegal, but the law gives special exemption on religious grounds to Muslim and Jewish meat producers.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, halal is an Arabic word that means "permissible". In terms of food, it means food that is permissible according to Islamic law. For a meat to be certified "halal", it cannot be a forbidden cut, such as meat taken from hindquarters, or animal, such as pork.
For the slaughter of animal to be halal, the animal must be hung upside-down and must have its throat slit and allowed to bleed dry.
Crucially, the animal must not be unconscious – therefore it is conscious during this whole procedure.
There are those who claim that animals are stunned before their throat is slit, to comply with EU law, but is that enough? How long does it take for an animal to bleed to death when the stun gun has long stopped working?
But the latest controversy surrounding halal meat is one which has stunned many.
Sandwich chain Subway has removed ham and bacon from the menus of 185 of its outlets (not Grimsby and Louth), reportedly following demand from Muslims for meat to comply with Sharia Law.
The pork has been replaced by "turkey ham" and something called a "rasher" in a move the company hopes will avoid offending Muslim customers.
Subway outlets adopting the new policy will display a window sticker reading: "All meats are halal."
Grimsby and Louth stores are not among the 185, and Subway say it is the choice of individual outlets whether or not they are halal.
So, in the same way, isn't it the choice of the individual customer what they choose in their sandwich?
As a non-meat eater, I expect to be able to choose an alternative to meat.
But I don't expect it to be exclusive to my tastes alone.
So, why can't it be the same for those who don't eat pig?
Offer them an alternative to ham and bacon, but isn't removing it completely from the menu for non-Muslims discrimination?
So will Subway listen if bacon and ham eaters also make demands?
Except that such meat eaters will probably just vote with their feet, and go to Greggs.
What do you think?
