Halal: The Original Ethical Meat Eating?
Among the decidedly ungreen luxuries I allow myself is a small collection of magazine subscriptions, one of which is Gourmet - the Conde Nast foodie rag that is, to be honest, hit or miss. But this month’s issue was a favorite of mine, mostly because of a moving account by two young chefs of a trip they took to Madani Halal butcher in New York in search of a goat to serve at their summer barbecue. The chefs - Ian Knauer and Alan Sytsma - picked out a grass-fed, free-range goat and watched as the butcher thanked the animal for its life and then killed it in what is considered the most painless way possible. The chefs reported back that watching their animal die added a level of responsibility to their cooking. Not only did they want to create a delicious meal for its own sake, they felt a need to honor the sacrifice of the animal’s life.
This type of thinking is an integral part of the current movement towards more ethical meat consumption that we often discuss on this blog. Consider below the similarities between Zibah - the Halal slaughter method - and members of the slow food movement. This similarity is not lost on Riaz, the owner of Madani, who told Gourmet that he believes Halal butchery can help many Americans to accept Islam through shared eating values.
According to the Halal Food Authority the following conditions must be met in order for meat to be considered passable:
- Animal must be alive and healthy at time of slaughter (no downers)
- Slaughter must be done in quickest, most painless method: cutting the jugular, carotid artery and windpipe in one single motion
- Animal must not be stunned or abused prior to slaughter (such abuse would render the animal “dead,” disobeying the first rule)
- Animals must not be fed anything containing meat (grass and grain fed)
- A muslim must perform the slaughter while reciting the shahada, as a prayer of dedication.
Many of us will recognize these considerations in our own choices. Not only are these healthier, more sanitary conditions, the elements of gratitude and respect are essential to a thoughtful approach to eating. Much of my own family keeps Kosher, which is very similar to Halal and I long considered it an archaic, even exclusionary practice. I wondered why otherwise contemporary, scientifically-minded people would adopt ancient sanitation laws that prohibit them from socializing over meals with friends. But the mindfulness advocated by these laws need not apply only to the religious - we can all benefit from this strong niche in the meat industry.
Given the high premium put on ethically-raised meat at farmer’s markets and in health stores, it is a relief to know that consumers can get such meat from Halal butchers at a reasonable price. In doing so, we are supporting the ethics behind the practice of Halal butchery and also supporting independent and community-oriented butchers - a dying breed in the era of pre-cut chops in the supermarkets and megamarts that dominate our country’s food consumption.
Image Credit: sciondriver under a Creative Commons license
thank you for the thoughtful post. i don’t know much about the practice of Halal, but I am in complete agreement with its mindful, compassionate and grateful approach. i am barely a carnivore, but i do indulge from time to time and when i do, i really like to know exactly how the animal lived AND died, which isn’t always information that is easy to come by. it is good to know there are more and more conscious butchers around.
Greetings,
How can we speak of the slaughter of sentient animals while talking about mindful compassion? Seems as if this is a oxymoron. Maybe we are just trying to justify our lust for meat eating.
Vegetarianism, and especially veganism, are not choices for everyone. EDB strives to reflect all these perspectives on eating equally, while promoting “greener” choices. For those who do consume meat, and I am one of those, it’s a responsible choice to seek out more sustainable methods that practice good animal husbandry and care up to and including slaughter. Thanks for sharing the information, Meredith.
Time to watch Earthlings, Graphic and cruel images of commercial Halal murder of life. its sick.
Thanks for the very thought-provoking post. I am, like Beth and Meredith, a meat-eater and in favor of mindful eating choices. When living in London, I almost-exclusively bought from a halal butcher because a.) it was a neighborhood choice and b.) I trusted in the manner of slaughter and the preparation of meat. It’s like the old Hebrew National hotdog commercials I used to get in NJ growing up “we answer to a higher authority.”
Thanks again.
What this comment thread needs is some SHRILLNESS!!! Me to the rescue…
Humans don’t need meat or animal secretions to live, be healthy, or thrive. Therefore, consumption of meat and animal secretions is a choice solely to satisfy taste and/or habit. Make of that choice what you will, but it certainly isn’t an ethical one. It is a choice to harm or kill a sentient being to please one’s palate. Nothing more.
Happy Meat (organic, “free range”, “cage free”, slaughtered while burning incense and praying to Mother Gaia, etc.) is a hilarious attempt by omnivores to make themselves feel better for unethical eating.
Eat meat because you believe God wants us to. Eat meat because you’ve been eating meat your whole life and don’t care to imagine the alternative. Eat meat because it tastes good to you. Eat meat because someone somewhere has nothing else to eat but meat, making it righteous for you to do so as well. Eat meat because Michael Pollan says it’s okay. Eat meat because you like to pretend there aren’t thousands of sources of protein (and every other nutrient you need) in the plant kingdom. Eat meat because vegans are shrill.
But don’t eat meat because you’ve found an ethical way to do it. You haven’t. It isn’t.
Hi guys!
Thanks for all of your comments. I know this is a complex issue, but I would rather it not devolve into a debate of what - or more specifically, who - is ethical. Everyone has his or her own idea about the best way to live and here at Eat Drink Better, the only thing we eschew is inconsiderate eating.
Personally, I consider there to be no way for me to eat (or live) without inflicting harm on the planet. Tempeh comes from wheat that is grown on a field where a forest used to stand - that is harm. Tofu comes from a soy farmer who is subsidized by a government policy that I strongly disagree with - that is harm. Lamb comes from a baby sheep whom I would have found cute if we had met in a petting zoo - that is harm. But I eat tempeh and tofu and lamb because I am an omnivore. It so happens that my species is overpopulous and so, given my evolved capacity for empathy, I try to eat in such a way as to minimize my harm. For some people, minimizing harm involves abstaining from meat. For others, it means eating close to home or primarily from a personal garden. Whatever your method, all of us readers and writers at EDB are living in a way that strives to mitigate the harm done by our very existence.
Which is a long winded way of saying, we’re on the same side here, people. Be kind. Do not judge.
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