I thought I knew what the term meant. Silly me, living in a fairly Jewish populated area, I was thinking "kosher". No, no. The two most definitely hold a different meaning.
When a guest asks if the food is halal, it is because their faith does not allow them to eat the meat of an animal that was not slaughtered in such a manner. Those animals are considered dirty and against the religion to consume. It's not like Little Miss Lamb Chops had AIDS or anything crazy. It is simply a belief that is practiced, and shouldn't be taken lightly by others.
Ready for the breakdown?
Halal, in Arabic, means permissible. It is a specific way in which the animal for meat is slaughtered, known as the Dhabihah. Tied up by its feet and hung upside-down, the throat of the animal is slit for all the blood to exit the body. Of course, I am skipping the part where the butcher (who must also be Muslim) prays over the animal before it is slaughtered. "Bismillah" (In the name of god) and "Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest x3) are proclaimed as the neck is slashed and the animal drained fully. Anything else would be considered "haraam" or unlawful to eat for one who observes the religious law.
Perhaps a month ago I had a table who inquired if our meat was halal. Unsure how to answer the couple, I asked Wulf whom had been in the middle of a conversation with another guest. I figured, if anyone, the owner should know where we obtain our meats and if it is or is not something my guests can order.
With a look of annoyance for the interruption, and a touch of "of course, you idiot", he asserted that the meat was indeed halal.
So tonight, the topic comes up with one of the cooks.
SURPRISE!
Turns out, not ALL of our meat is halal. The ground meats certainly aren't. The tenderloin for the tenderloin hummus certainly is not, and so on... So what is?
My stomach twisted in such a way that I had just consumed a mouthful of something gone rancid. That spoiled feeling was the horrible enlightenment that I naively allowed someone to eat a meat which they would never be able nor willing to eat had I known the actual fact of the matter.
Even though what is done, is done, and YES I was most certainly unaware that "halal" does not encompass all of our dishes-- I definitely feel guilty about the incident.
It's like mixing up drinkings and accidentally serving a devout recovering alcoholic booze, informing them that theirs is only soda water with lime. Or having a vegan eat a dish with eggs or chicken stock. It's not a matter of, "what you don't know won't hurt you". It's just wrong-- even yes, for a Muslim to eat non-halal meat, downright sacrilegious.
Look before you leap? Always. Hell, in this case, inquire (maybe several times) before you eat.
-Malia Etienette
Photo Credit:
Symbol: www.northafricapost.com
Boycott Banner: "Unfair Trading. Boycott Halal" www.boycotthalal.com
Slaughterhouse: "In France, Politicians Make Halal Meat a Campaign Issue" www.npr.org
Sickly: "13 Things You Should Know..." www.health.com
