Hello Halal?

Someone called Neil Loughbrough recently wrote this in Facebook about halal meat in the UK. My reply is in italics. 

 
In some places — including hospitals and certain high streets — halal has quietly become the default option. That doesn’t sit right with me. In Britain, people should be able to choose food that matches their own beliefs, traditions, or personal preferences. No one should feel pushed into eating something they didn’t knowingly choose, or feel they have to go hungry, or be labelled as racist simply for questioning the food options available.

Hospitals are a good example. When someone is ill, stressed, or recovering, the last thing they need is to be told there’s only one type of meat available — especially if it doesn’t align with their own beliefs or comfort. A hospital should offer non‑halal as the standard option, with halal available for those who want it. That’s basic fairness.

I also think councils should have the power to ensure that high streets don’t end up with only one type of food outlet. On my own local high street, halal‑only places have become the norm rather than the exception. It’s only right to point this out, because it affects people’s ability to choose what they eat. A British high street should offer a proper mix of choices — traditional British food, non‑halal options, halal options, vegan, vegetarian — not just one category dominating everything.

I know people have different views on halal, and I’m aware that some in this group would prefer to see it removed from certain settings altogether. But I genuinely believe the first step is much simpler: give customers a clear choice.

Right now, many foods that were traditionally non‑halal have quietly switched to halal without most people realising. If everything was labelled clearly, people could make an informed decision. And if customers consistently chose non‑halal when given a fair choice, businesses might rethink their approach. They might even reverse decisions that were made without public awareness.

This isn’t about attacking anyone’s diet. It’s about transparency, informed choice, and respecting everyone’s preferences.

Clear labelling protects everyone.
It avoids arguments.
It stops people being judged for asking questions.
And it lets the public decide what they want to buy — not have it decided for them.

 

What a lot of nonsense! When my wife and I were living in Saudi Arabia, sometimes we wanted to eat a pork chop or drink a beer. Sometimes I wanted to wear a pair of shorts because it was so blooming hot. Guess what? I could not do any of these things (and I could not do many other things as well!) Halal slaughter is an important part of Islam, the Muslim religion. Islam is not about choice, personal preferences, freedom and the rights of the individual. 

On the other hand, you have said absolutely nothing about the wicked cruelty of halal slaughter. Perhaps you do not give a damn about animal suffering, Neil Loughbrough. Are you really so stupid and so selfish?

My own view is that absolutely no halal meat should ever be on sale in the UK. Halal slaughter is cruel and barbaric, involving a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering for the animal. NO halal meat should ever be sold in the UK. If we support the RSPCA and claim that we are a nation of "animal lovers", then our desire to protect animals is completely incompatible with the wicked and evil practice of halal slaughter.

If we think about Islam in a more general context, I can tell you that Islam is not about "protecting everyone", "an informed decision" or "basic fairness". This is utter garbage! I have lived in several Muslim-majority countries, so I think I know what I am talking about. For example, what is fair about LGBTQ people being thrown to their deaths from the roofs of buildings? How can you talk about "protecting everyone", Neil Loughbrough, when apostates from Islam (people who do not want to be Muslims any more) are often murdered? Do you really think that girls and women are given their "personal preferences" in Afghanistan or in Sudan or in Pakistan or in Saudi Arabia or in any other dreadful Islamic country? 

I am amazed that you could post something on Facebook that is so naive, gormless and ill-informed, Neil Loughbrough. Islam is incompatible with British values and traditions. Islam always has been incompatible with those things that most British people hold dear and it always will be. 

It is not just about "food options available". Halal meat is just the tip of the Islamic iceberg. What kind of country is the UK is rapidly becoming because of illegal Muslim immigration and our spineless politicians refusing to stand up for traditional British values? The Islamification of the UK is already happening and it is not simply a question of whether or not your local butcher shop is selling bacon and pork sausages.

My wife Irena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia