In the Name of Allaah, The Most Gracious, The Most Kind

Hijri date: Monday 8 MuHarram 1422 A.H.
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Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 20:53:12 -0400

From: "Maria Hussain" <[log in to unmask]>


Halal Food Alert: Do you know what's in your beef?

With all the livestock diseases going around, Muslims need to be on full
alert right now about the Halal food certification that is currently in
process by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. They are
registering supermarket foods with a logo meaning it is Halal.
Alhamdulillah they are doing a great job labeling dairy products to
avoid gelatin and pork enzymes, but unfortunately, their standards for
meat certification are very low. Currently, for a meat to qualify as
halal, the only requirement is that the name of Allah must be invoked
and the blood drained from the animal as it is sacrificed. [See
http://www.ifanca.org/halal.htm for the list of current halal
requirements.] There is no monitoring whatsoever of the farming
conditions where the animals are raised.

In order for the meat to be considered pure, according to the hadith of
Islam, the cow, sheep, goat, or chicken must live its life in an
environment free from mistreatment, and be fed natural foods. But many
questionable practices are the norm in American cattle farms.The Muslim
Consumer Group has stated that 15 to 25% of Halal and Kosher meat in
America comes from pork-fed cattle.  The cows are given estrogen hormones
to increase their growth. This is also not acceptable in Islam because
eating estrogen can affect the hormonal gender balance of humans. For
example, a man who eats too much meat can grow breasts, while a girl who
eats too much meat may begin to menstruate at an abnormally early age.
Another concern is pesticides. All the halal meat is full of pesticides
because all farms except for Organic farms use them to kill the insects.
When a cow eats grass that has been sprayed, chemicals get concentrated in
the meat. That is because a cow must eat 12 pounds of grass to make one
pound of beef.  Pesticides are the same thing as nerve gas. These poisons
get stored in our fat cells and stay in our bodies, getting more
concentrated every time we eat meat. This can lead to breast cancer and
other diseases. If not haram, pesticides are definitely questionable
ingredients. Cattle farming in this country is responsible for widescale
pollution including drinking water contamination and topsoil erosion. A
halal farm should abide by the strictest environmental restrictions even
if it is not forced by U.S. law.

Furthermore, in the Halal slaughterhouses, the ettiquettes of Islam are
not being followed. The sheep are made to view a pile of carcasses in
front of them on the assembly line. The last few minutes of their lives
are spent crying in sheer terror, often hanging upside down. In order for
a meat to be halal, according to the Sunnah, the animal must not see the
knife before it is killed. This means it has to be taken by surprise and
done very quickly so that it does not even notice. Fear releases poisons
throughout the meat which make it unclean. Muslims run the risk of looking
like total hypocrites to the ethically conscious non-Muslim consumer if we
cannot invite them into our halal store and tell them our meat is safe. On
the other hand, if halal stores started selling organic meat, it would
draw in a lot of new people to do business with us. The name of Islam
would come to be associated with animal ethics and food purity, as the
Amish are known for their chicken. It would be tremendously helpful to
organic farmers who are struggling to survive because they are struggling
to do the right thing. It would also do a lot to improve our reputation in
the eyes of the American public.

Blessing the meat is a necessary requirement of Halal. But this alone
cannot make what is forbidden into something which is halal. It will also
not purify the meat of mad cow disease and other illnesses caused by the
corporate factory farming method of. recycling animals: feeding livestock
the ground up swine, cows, dogs, cats, human placentas, road kill, and
other waste products. Ask your local halal store owner if he knows the
origin of his meat. Can he guarantee that it is pure?

Please press the IFANCA to make the Halal requirements include Organic
certification for meat. This would guarantee by U.S. law:

The meat has been produced without hormones, antibiotics, or synthetic
pesticides Strict standards for care, feeding and housing of animals in a
humane manner Sustainable agricultural practices.

IFANCA
5901 N. Cicero Ste. 309,
Chicago, IL 60646
TEL: (773) 283-3708
FAX: (773) 283-3973
http://www.ifanca.org/

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