Another day, another religious issue that threatens to needlessly divide the community even further than it already is. A current affairs program last night revealed that the majority of chicken which we eat in Australia is now Halal certified. Halal is a term which alerts Muslims to which food products they are permitted to eat in accordance with Islam. In the case of commercial production of meats, to my understanding, this primarily means that a Muslim must be present at the slaughter of the animals and the animals must be blessed. There are some who are offended by this, arguing that it contravenes their right to practice their religion, but I honestly can’t see the issue.
The blessing itself is very simple and, I think, inoffensive. Prior to slaughter they say a prayer to God which translates to “In the name of God – God is great.” To me, this does not contradict any religion. I don’t know about everyone else, but I was brought up as a Christian and I can remember going too church and hearing words very similar to this. A blessing to God is a blessing to God. If you’re that worried about saying the right words, say grace before you eat it. That chicken should be really lucky; it’s received two blessings!
For those who are not religious and who think they’re being pushed into a religion, simply think of it as a blessing to mother nature or the universe. It certainly can’t do any harm for us to be more thankful for what we have. And as for those who honestly don’t believe in anything, it doesn’t matter because the idea of food being blessed by God is nothing but a fairytale and is as harmless as one.
As for this being part of the Islamification of Australia, this is absurd. It is not the process of making a food Halal that is essential to practicing Islam. The essential element of this whole debate is the mindset of the eater. They must be eating the Halal because of their religion in order to make it an Islamic practice. The production of Halal food merely enables consumers to participate in the Islamic practice if they wish to do so. In the end, In the end, whether or not a food is Halal only makes a difference to those who believe in it. After all, what one person holds sacred may mean nothing to another person. In light of this, this whole debate is irrelevant.
What angers me most though, is the reaction of the media. This particular current affairs story was introduced and concluded by the host last night as an issue of major moral and ethical importance with the intention of generating as much debate as possible, even asking for viewer’s opinions. It is not just this issue either. We see it everywhere, shock jocks on the radio, on T.V, in newspapers, carelessly man-handling sensitive issues to create maximum debate. It is this type of irresponsible sensationalism which divides the community and breeds intolerance. All this for what? The sake of an interesting story and a larger audience?
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