A British Christian group argues that the mainstreaming of Halal across the world constitutes part of a global Islamization drive. A Malaysia-based body called the World Halal Forum held a European-focused meeting in London in November, under the theme “Halal Products and Services – Going Mainstream.”
The British Christian group has launched “Operation Nehemiah” , they say it has no objection to Muslims having the freedom to follow their own religious practices and being catered to by the food industry, but it objects to non-Muslims having little or no choice in the matter. Operation Nehemiah describes itself as a project that aims to “rebuild [Britain’s] Christian foundations.” It is part of the Barnabas Fund, an international charity working among Christians living in Islamic societies.
Earlier this year the fried chicken chain KFC launched a trial project in which around 100 branches in Britain were Halal-certified by the country’s Halal Food Authority. Because haram products are not allowed anywhere near Halal food, this meant that customers visiting those stores had no choice but to eat Halal chicken.
“For our chicken to be Halal accredited, a verse is recited from the Qur’an by an appropriate person at the point of slaughter,” KFC U.K. said in a fact sheet at the time. “All non-Halal products will be removed from the relevant restaurants. This includes pork products, bacon will not be served in our Halal trial stores.”
The leading Halal-food certifier in North America, the Chicago-based Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, says it certifies more than 23,000 products and ingredients ranging from meat and poultry to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The products are labeled with a symbol featuring an “M” and a crescent.
[Source Link: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/british-christian-group-raises-concerns]
Analysis of Food Phobia:
Bible on Food: Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Ge 1:29), with the exception mentioned (Ge 2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a distinct law on the subject given to Noah after the Deluge (Ge 9:2-5). Various articles of food used in the patriarchal age are mentioned in Ge 18:6-8; 25:34; 27:3-4; 43:11. Regarding the food of the Israelites in Egypt, see Ex 16:3; Nu 11:5. In the wilderness their ordinary food was miraculously supplied in the manna. They had also quails (Ex 16:11-13; Nu 11:31).In the law of Moses there are special regulations as to the animals to be used for food (Le 11:1-47; De 14:3-21). The Jews were also forbidden to use as food anything that had been consecrated to idols (Ex 34:15), or animals that had died of disease or had been torn by wild beasts (Ex 22:31; Le 22:8). (See also for other restrictions Ex 23:19; 29:13-22; Le 3:4-9; 9:18-19; 22:8; De 14:21.) But beyond these restrictions they had a large grant from God (De 14:26; 32:13-14). Food was prepared for use in various ways. The cereals were sometimes eaten without any preparation (Le 23:14; De 23:25; 2Ki 4:42). Vegetables were cooked by boiling (Ge 25:30,34; 2Ki 4:38-39), and thus also other articles of food were prepared for use (Ge 27:4; Pr 23:3; Eze 24:10; Lu 24:42; Joh 21:9). Food was also prepared by roasting (Ex 12:8; Le 2:14). [Easton’s Bible Dictionary]
Acts 15:29 That you abstain from anything offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Farewell.
John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible: In all those Churches which never did acknowledge the bishop of Rome’s authority, it never was allowed to eat blood; nor is it allowed at this day. This is the plain fact; let men reason as plausibly as they please on one side or the other. From which keeping yourselves ye will do well – That is, ye will find a blessing. This gentle manner of concluding was worthy the apostolical wisdom and goodness. But how soon did succeeding councils of inferior authority change it into the style of anathemas! Forms which have proved an occasion of consecrating some of the most devilish passions under the most sacred names; and like some ill-adjusted weapons of war, are most likely to hurt the hand from which they are thrown.
Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from defilements of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood
Deuteronomy 14:21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself:
Leviticus 17:14 You shall eat the blood of no kind of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eats it shall be cut off.
[because the blood was not gone out of it.(Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible)]
See also (Deuteronomy;14:21),”(Genesis;9:4) Leviticus 17:14-15, Deuteronomy 12:16, 1Samuel 14:33 and also at Revelation 2:14.
Swine is regarded as the most unclean and the most abhorred of all animals (Le 11:7; Isa 65:4; 66:3,17; Lu 15:15-16). A herd of swine were drowned in the Sea of Galilee by Jesus Christ (Lu 8:32-33). Spoken of figuratively in Mt 7:6 (see Pr 11:22). It is frequently mentioned as a wild animal, and is evidently the wild boar (Arab. khanzir), which is common among the marshes of the Jordan valley (Ps 80:13).
Pork is prohibited in Bible: “And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.”(Leviticus;11:7-8) also Deuteronomy 14:8 & Isaiah 65:2-5.
The Jews consume Kosher food. Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of the Jewish Halakhic law framework. These rules form the main aspect of kashrut, Jewish dietary laws. A list of some Kosher foods are found in the book of Leviticus. There are also certain Kosher rules which are found there. Kosher food is found in all the major stores in Europe and USA, the Christians never raised objections.
The Biblical Dietary Law, followed by Jesus Christ dismissed through A Dream of a Hungry Person!
Acts 10:9-15 On the next day, as they went on their journey, and drew near unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet held at the four corners, and let down to the earth: In which were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, What God has cleansed, that call not common.
“Think not that I have come to destroy the Law [of Moses]… :I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Jesus Christ, Matthew 5: 17).
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.” (Matthew;10:24)
Paul was charged in Jerusalem temple for teaching against Law [Act:21:24-25] and to purify himself, declaring “keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication” (Acts:21:25). Paul accepted, so he resorted to purifying rituals (Act:21:26-28). However he was spotted by Jews who had known his wrong doings. But the self proclaimed 13th disciple, who never met Jesus Christ in his life time ultimately cancelled the Law (Romans;7:6, Galatians;2:19). Paul regarded nothing as unclean of itself (Ro 14:14,20; Tit 1:15), yet no man should violate the scruples of his own conscience or that of his brother.
Romans 14:20-21 it is evil for that man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.
Islamic Halal Food:
This permission to Muslims to partake of the food of the followers of other revealed religions excludes, of course, the forbidden categories of meat enumerated in Qur’an;5:3 . As a matter of fact, the Law of Moses, too, forbids them explicitly; and there is no statement whatsoever in the Gospels to the effect that these prohibitions were cancelled by Jesus: on the contrary, he is reported to have said: “Think not that I have come to destroy the Law [of Moses]… :I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5: 17).
Qur’an Declares:
Qur’an; 5:5: Today, all the good things of life have been made lawful to you. And the food of People of Book [Jews and Christians] is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. And [lawful to you are], in wedlock, women from among those who believe [in this divine writ], and, in wedlock, women from among those who have been vouchsafed revelation before your time – provided that you give them their dowers, taking them in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions.
Qur’an; 5:3: FORBIDDEN to you is carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any name other than God’s has been invoked, and the animal that has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or savaged by a beast of prey, save that which you [yourselves] may have slaughtered while it was still alive; and [forbidden to you is] all that has been slaughtered on idolatrous altars.
The Islamic method of slaughter of animal drains out all blood form the body as only artery is cut with sharp knife the heart continues to pump out blood. The blood is also harmful medically agreed. In Islam the animal is slaughtered by pronouncing the name of God, the God of Abraham, Jacob, Ishmael, Mosses, Jesus Christ and the universe.
Conclusion:
- 1. Thus, the latitude enjoyed by post-Pauline followers of Jesus in respect of food does not correspond to what he himself practiced and enjoined.
- For Muslims the food of Jews and Christians is permissible to eat if it is in line with the teachings of Old Testament, Gospel of Jesus Christ and Qur’an.
- 3. There is nothing wrong for Christians to eat the Halal Islamic food as it is in line with the food eaten by Jesus Christ and dietary laws of Bible.
- 4. Even the according to post Jesus teachings of the Church, the Halal Islamic food stands permissible to Christians [Romans 14:20-21, Acts 10:9-15 ]
- Kosher food is found in all the major stores in Europe and USA, the Christians never raised objections to this Jewish food, for the people much less in numbers than Muslims living there.
- The FOOD PHOBIA is unfounded, to be rejected.
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