Ohio Muslim Inmates Sue Over Meal Preparation

A death row inmate says the Ohio prison system is denying him meals prepared according to Islamic law -- known as halal -- while at the same time providing kosher meals to Jewish prisoners, according to a federal lawsuit that alleges a civil rights violation.
Condemned inmate Abdul Awkal says the prison system's failure to provide the halal meals is a restraint on his religious freedoms.

Awkal, joined by a second inmate not on death row, says the vegetarian and non-pork options offered by the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction aren't good enough. The inmates say the food must be prepared in specific fashion, such as ensuring that an animal is butchered by slitting its throat and draining its blood, to conform with Islamic beliefs.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/03/oh ... z1ZjpefkMM

RT: Yep, there is no Sharia law coming to America. Move them to desert of Arizona, give them a tent, and peanut butter and jelly sandwichs with goat milk. I wonder if a Muslim gets a death sentence in America if Muslim law requires their throat to be slit or is an injection a violation?

It seems to me that if the Dept. of Corrections is preparing the food properly for the Jewish inmates, that would be the same requirements as the Muslim Halal. Of course, they want to complain about religious freedoms, as is they are used to that principle.

I'm not aware of any distintion between Halaal and Kosher -

Offer them Kosher food, and call it halaal.

Well here is my take on this. If he had not done the crime he would not have to worry about it. There should one meal made for all and if they don't like it don't eat it. Pretty damn simple

I haven't checked this out, but I just received this in an e-mail and thought since it applies to this thread, I would post it and see if someone can find an opposing view.

"The other day I wrote about Costco stocking their meat counters with “Halal” meat."
So yesterday I shopped for groceries at my local Walmart. As usual, I bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts, but this time I checked to make sure the meat was not labeled “Halal”. Here’s why.

Halal is the Islamic term that basically means the meat is lawful to eat for a devout Muslim. What makes it lawful or acceptable is that the meat has been processed in a very specific way. Unlike kosher food, where the physical processing of the meat is the focus, for Islam it is the spiritual component that makes the meat lawful.

For lawful (halal) meat in Islam, the animal must be killed while the butcher faces Mecca , and either the butcher cries “Allah Akbar” or a tape plays the words over a loud speaker.

Ann Barnhardt, is a cattle commodities broker, has more about “Halal."

NEVER buy meat that is marked as “Halal”.

I am in the cattle business, and believe me when I tell you that Halal kill plants are CONSTANTLY being cited and shut down by the USDA for horrific, infractions. Most of these plants are in Michigan and upstate New York ...

One of the things that halal kill plants are notorious for is putting already-dead animals in the human consumption line. They will go pick up a dead cow off of a farm or ranch and instead of putting it in their rendering tank where the resulting “tankage” is worth pennies on the dollar as pet food or industrial products, they will shackle the dead animal on the normal kill line and process it as human food which is the highest-dollar product.

Since Islam teaches dishonesty (taqiyyah) and no regard for one’s neighbor, this kind of sickening behavior is standard.

Halal plants are also notorious for general citations for filth and uncleanliness. I have toured normal cattle slaughter plants, and guys, you could eat off of the floor. Everything is white and men walk around with water hoses and steam guns constantly keeping everything in a state of spotlessness.

Halal plants are filthy. A lot of Halal meat is also labeled as “organic”.

Again, don’t be fooled into thinking that “halal” means “better”. It isn’t. I would never, ever knowingly eat halal meat purely from a food safety perspective.

From what I understand both Kosher and Halal food preperation methods are much more sanitary than the standard factory practices as well as being more humane. The email you received sounds like a load of hooey to me.

Whether or not we shold allow freedom of religion in prisons sounds like a Constitutional issue to me. Personally I believe religion is more of a positive influence and thus should be encouraged.

Well I have been reading about Halal and it is not exactly the same. In fact according to the ministry of Australia, where they have over-ruled the debate about Humane killing of animals for food, the Australian government has demanded that the animals be stunned before slaughter to avoid undue suffering, and it states that is not the way it is done in most of the other places around the world.

The Jewish Dietary Laws and the Halal Dietary Laws do differ a little bit. So it may be hooey to you, but it is just your opinion.

Yup - there's differences.

Technically, for meat to be Halal - the butcher would declare "bis mi allah" (in the name of G-d) when he slaughters the livestock. The slaughter would be carried out by slitting the animal's throat and bleeding it, rather than shocking the animal (either with electricity, or a bolt through its brain). A bled animal's carcass would likely keep longer than an animal that was shocked. (the blood spoils faster than the meat).

Beyond that - a Muslim would avoid all pork products, alcohol, and avoid most shelled species (crab, shrimp, etc).

Unlike a kosher Jew, a Muslim would not blink an eye at veal parmesan.

Incidentally, the Suna would allow a Muslim to consume pork products in the event that it's the only thing available (Islam has lots of situation ethics).

Having been to a Halal butchery, I'd say that Nymmy's earlier post is mostly bunk.

- the narrative has the slaughter blessing wrong
- I'm unaware of Muslims being instructed to lie to their neighbor
- Dead meat is generally haram ----

Islam it is the spiritual component that makes the meat lawful.

Islam is a works-based religion - and spiritual has little to do with the practice --- it is all about the Sunna and Haidith - which are incredibly prescriptive about an exhausting array of matters --- be it how to slaughter, or how to have sex with your wife.

Also, from what I've been reading, Muslims bless EACH animal that is slaughtered.

Jews bless the first and the last but skip the ones in between.

And Muslims can eat the entire carcass, unlike Jews, who only consider the front part of the animal kosher.

This e-mail that you say is bunk BB, is not the first time that I have read that it is okay to lie to and deceive those who are not of their faith.