Vegemite turning halal - claims of Islamisation

[StroppyChops]

Australia recently raised the 'threat level' as it announced it's stance against IS, causing at least one Islamic organisation to cry foul and close it's doors. Doing the Facebook rounds today is Kraft's 2010 announcement that it would brand Vegemite as halal so that Australia's Muslim minority might enjoy the product, raising questions about the unnecessary 'Islamisation' of the product. This, from news.com.au:

Vegemite becomes politically correct
VEGEMITE has gone halal in a bid by food giant Kraft to make the national "treasure" available to Muslim Australians.

The label on Australia's most famous spread has changed in recent months to include halal certification in a move some have described as "ridiculous" political correctness.



"Islamic communities are proud Australians and they want to be able to eat our national icon as well," Kraft spokesman Simon Talbot said.

"We don't own Vegemite. The people of Australia own Vegemite. We're just the custodians and we want to make sure Vegemite is available for everyone."

Muslim leaders have congratulated Kraft for introducing the labels, but Family Council of Victoria secretary Bill Muehlenberg questioned the company's motives.

"This is a private company trying to make money," Mr Muehlenberg said. "I don't think they care a rip about offending the tastebuds of Muslims.

"Why do we have to keep bending over backwards to please minority groups? There are only 300,000 Muslims in Australia out of 22 million people, which is a very small percentage.

"Of course, there's a case for making allowances for different cultures, but aren't we getting a bit carried away with political correctness here? It's ridiculous."

Mr Muehlenberg feared the halal labelling was also a sign of "Islamisation" of western countries.

"We're already seeing sharia law courts operating in Britain," he said. "Where does it end?"

Since the labels were changed in August, Kraft's head office has received regular phone calls from people complaining about the halal labelling on Vegemite.

"People have called us with some fairly strong views about Australian society and culture," Mr Talbot said. "These are views that we at Kraft don't agree with. We don't engage in racist or bigoted commentary.

"But for every call we receive asking about it, there is a call to say how proud they are to see it's halal. We are also proud of our kosher, halal and vegetarian products."

Vegemite has been certified kosher for more than a decade. When Kraft decided to scrap kosher Vegemite production in 2004, the backlash from Jewish consumers forced the company to do a backflip.

Yasser Soliman, Islamic Council of Victoria past-president and executive director of Diversity Connect International, said the halal certification on Vegemite was a sign Muslims were "becoming more Aussie".

SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/national/vegemit ... 5822912030

I have both Muslim and Jewish friends and colleagues in Australia and I consider those friends to be well integrated 'new' Australians or first- and second-generation Australians-by-birth - but personally I cannot see why such an iconic food product needs to be given a "suitable for your religion" stamp such as this.

As a sidenote we fed Vegemite to our Khmer mate the other day (in the appropriate measure, it's NOT jam/jelly, you plebs) and he quickly spat it out. His pregnant wife thought it was okay.

[UKJ]

"Islamic communities are proud Australians and they want to be able to eat our national icon as well," Kraft spokesman Simon Talbot said.

I've never head a British muslim say they were a proud Brit. I've seen 2nd generation ( at least) muslims interviewed in the street and say their identity is muslim, then Pakistani. Then when asked about Britain, they will add British.

[OrangeDragon]

thing with a business going halal, it just makes sense.

it doesn't exclude non islamics, but does include islamics... you increase your market share with no decrease.

just like when they make something kosher without changing the taste.

[StroppyChops]

thing with a business going halal, it just makes sense.

it doesn't exclude non islamics, but does include islamics... you increase your market share with no decrease.

just like when they make something kosher without changing the taste.

I wonder if it's possible for a food product to be both halal and kosher?

[UKJ]

thing with a business going halal, it just makes sense.

it doesn't exclude non islamics, but does include islamics... you increase your market share with no decrease.

just like when they make something kosher without changing the taste.

Yes. The muslim population is at such a % in some areas, that businesses have no option but to go halal, as was my local McD's , KFC and pizza hut. It's not such good news for non muslim British butchers though. Most have closed in these areas. And it's not so good if you want bacon in your KFC meal ( I think it was KFC), as they don't do that option in some branches, so as not to deter muslims. And don't get me started on halal school dinners!
Basically it's all to change to suit muslims .

[OrangeDragon]

thing with a business going halal, it just makes sense.

it doesn't exclude non islamics, but does include islamics... you increase your market share with no decrease.

just like when they make something kosher without changing the taste.

I wonder if it's possible for a food product to be both halal and kosher?

in most cases for meat, easily. both are primarily beef/lamb/goat. kosher also means that certain parts of the meat are removed (veins/etc). not sure about halal.

[UKJ]

Halal is how they are slaughtered, and has to be by a muslim, which imho, is discriminatory, and will let muslims take over the entire sector. The method of slaughter is against many non muslims beliefs, but they don't count, as they are only the indigenous majority!!! One muslim in a place of work , school, or even prison, can change the entire way of doing things.

[Francis]

Just for your information:

Ḥalāl, ('permissible') or hallal is any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term covers and designates not only food and drink but also all matters of daily life. It is one of five — fard (compulsory), mustahabb (recommended), halal (allowed), makruh (disliked), haram (forbidden) — that define the morality of human action in Islam. Mubah is also used to mean "permissible" or "allowed" in Islam.
Generally in Islam, every object and action is considered permissible unless there is a prohibition of it in the Islamic scriptures. Clarification is given below in detail as to what is considered to be a permissible object or action in Islam, along with the exceptions.

Food
Halal is often used in reference to foods, i.e. foods that are permissible for Muslims to eat or drink under Islamic Shariʻah. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. The foods addressed are mostly types of meat and animal tissue.
The most common example of non-halal (or haraam) food is pork. While pork is the only meat that cannot be eaten by Muslims at all (due to historically, culturally, and religiously perceived hygienic concerns), foods other than pork can also be haraam. The criteria for non-pork items include their source, the cause of the animal's death, and how it was processed.
The food must come from a supplier that uses halal practices. Specifically, the slaughter must be performed by a Muslim, who must precede the slaughter by invoking the name of Allah, most commonly by saying "Bismillah" ("In the name of God") and then three times "Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest). Then, the animal must be slaughtered with a sharp knife by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck, causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord. Lastly, the blood from the veins must be drained.
Muslims must also ensure that all foods (particularly processed foods), as well as non-food items like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, are halal. Frequently, these products contain animal by-products or other ingredients that are not permissible for Muslims to eat or use on their bodies.
Foods that are not halal for humans to consume as per various Quranic verses are:
• Pork
• Blood
• Intoxicants and alcoholic beverages
• Animals killed incorrectly and/or without Allah's name being pronounced in their killing
o Animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but "Allah". All that has been dedicated or offered in sacrifice to an idolatrous altar or saint or a person considered to be "divine"
o Carrion (carcasses of dead animals, i.e. animals who died in the wild)
o An animal that has been strangled, beaten (to death), killed by a fall, electrocution, gored (to death), or savaged by a beast of prey (unless finished off by a human)
Quranic verses regarding halal foods include: 2:173, 5:5, and 6:118-119, 121.

[Soi Dog]

I used to buy donner kebabs from one particular vendor in Pattaya. One day he stopped selling pork as an option along with chicken. He said he got too many complaints from Muslim customers that wouldn't eat the chicken kebabs there if he also sold pork kebabs. And Muslims were such a large part of his customer base he felt had to make the change.

so apparently...drinking some alcohol and screwing Thai whores in Pattaya is okay, but don't eat pork kebabs while doing it, because THAT is unacceptable to Allah.

I never put Vegemite on the kebabs, though (halal or not)...to get back on topic.

[UKJ]

So apparently...drinking some alcohol and screwing Thai whores in Pattaya is okay, but don't eat pork kebabs while doing it, because THAT is unacceptable to Allah.

Some crazy contradictions in the UK as well. Supermarket checkout staff who are muslim, are allowed to refuse to serve someone who is buying alcohol. But most of the local convenience stores are muslim owned, and they have no problem selling you alcohol at top dollar.
They kick up a fuss anywhere like the kebab seller you mentioned, yet will use a Chinese buffet. Although the chicken etc in a Chinese are all halal, except for the pork!