One could also see it as not necessarily being intolerant. It may have to do with the symbolism attached to it -- knowing it is halal and the referent to Islam. In any case that is exactly what the meat sold by Muslim butchers would be if they are applying the same criteria in Goa.
This part may have more meaning than I understand: "we are dished up with halal meat, whether we like it or not. Many Super Marts are purveyors of the stuff." Are there no equivalent choices -- I mean cost wise. In fact that probably is not the issue, in which case is there a a paucity of non-halal meat? Purveyor is an interesting word in that in the past it was someone who supplied/made provisions for the sovereign. Guess in contemporaenity its what the Purveyors think helps expand their markets and bleeding hearts to believe they are doing the right thing. Halal is not just how an animal is slaughtered but that it is dedicated to God. The opposite is haram. Meat wise its also about not consuming blood (sorpotel), swine and includes ANYTHING not dedicated to God. Halal is also good economics to mean suggesting that non halal is bad. What could be bad is the nature of how the slaughtering takes place and whether the flesh of an animal killed/dying in an agitated manner is bad for us. Now the specialists could come in at this point and spell your thoughts and knowledge. Years ago, I was in Blacheath at a swank market, and bough some samosas, but not a person of color in sight. The UK has assimilated a lot of things and these are economic decisions perhaps aided by SAsian planners etc. For all one knows the Archbishop of Canterbury eats/is served halal meat. In NY we have Glatt Kosher, so Jewish people can have a Masala Dosa with Mol'logapudi etc., within their culinary framework. The Rabbi blesses the kitchen (not sure whether this is done daily), the ingredients etc.The owners are friends; are Gujarati and have a South Indian restaurant called Madras Mahal. Others restaurants now also have Glatt kosher attestation after seeing that business could be better for them too. If a Muslim does not know whether the meat is hahal, all that he has to do is invoke Allah and eat it -- Bismillah to be precise. In that sense he/she is dedicating it to God. Nothing else matters. But people will say no. no its not correct. They can of course choose not to eat it -- although they may say they are NOT EATING cause its not halal. This is the case with many things including ho we see our fellow men. But as with anything, it turns dogmatic and one may often be mislead in thinking one is doing the right thing and an excuse to throw ones religious puritanism around -- basically belt people around the head and shoulders. A fine extrapolated example is us Goans -- cultural minorities who often are more Indian than the majority. In many of our cases it is a strand worthy of patriotism as also a path to sorting oneself out, AND yet deep down ii is actually good for ones development -- formation in lived aesthetics if you will. ++++++++++++ venantius j pinto > From: Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Slaughtering of animals - sacrifice. > > > What's wrong with halal meat? Does it taste bad? Or is it just > culture-specific intolerance at work? (DEL) FN > > Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 > > > > > COMMENT: Here in the U.K. , increasingly we are dished up with halal > meat, > > whether we like it or not. Many Super Marts are purveyors of the stuff. >
