Islamic leaders consider boycott in halal meat row
LEADERS of the Islamic community are considering advising their members to boycott school dinners containing meat provided by Lancashire County Council after their controversial decision to stop supplying non-stunned halal.
The Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) has also warned it could take legal action over the decision.
Accrington County Councillor Munsif Dad, who was a member of the Halal Meat Task Group in 2013, also argued that schools should have been left to decide whether to provide stunned or un-stunned meat.
The county council supplies halal meat to 27 schools across the county, including in Hyndburn.
Abdul Qureshi, LCM chief executive, said members are now considering boycotting school meals where meat is provided by the authority.
He said: “It is something we are considering. Another possibility is asking schools to find alternative suppliers and we are also exploring the possibility of legal action.
“International law allows us and the Jewish community to slaughter animals in this way.
“This is not about food or animal welfare. This is about the attitude of the authority towards a minority community.
“I’d ask Geoff Driver (county council leader) what were the results of the consultation and how many of the comments were abusive and hateful.
“We have received abusive messages from as far away as Canada. This decision is full of prejudice, very discriminatory and undemocratic.”
County Coun Dad said it is a ‘sad state of affairs’. He said: “This isn’t about animal welfare.
“The people of Lancashire deserve better and this is a decision that isn’t benefitting the whole of the county.
“We’ve had many meetings with parents and schools and organisations in my constituency.
“These feelings are shared by them.
“We’re telling parents to speak to school heads to see if alternative arrangements can be made.”
Lancashire County Council declined to comment further on the LCM comments. Last week County Coun Driver told a cabinet meeting: “We are not ordering schools not to provide meat from animals that weren’t stunned before they were slaughtered.
“We are saying that we are not prepared for the county council to do that - which is perfectly within our rights.”