Parents say Halal meat in school cafeterias runs afoul of non-denominational education
Schools in southern Sweden have been serving halal chicken in their school cafeterias for four years, but some students’ parents only recently found out and were furious at the news. They’ve since reported the municipality’s schools to the Swedish Schools Inspectorate, saying that schools should not be allowed to serve halal meat because it violates Sweden’s principal of non-denominational education.
According to The Local, the chicken was originally purchased from suppliers in Denmark. Halal slaughter is slaughter that permissible under Islamic law. To be certified halal, the chickens must have their throats cut with a sharp knife by someone saying, “in the name of God.”
Traditional kosher and halal slaughter is actually only legal in Sweden if the animals are anesthetized first. The anesthetizing is technically not allowed according to kosher and halal rules, but according to The Local it’s a generally accepted compromise in Sweden.
The non-Muslim parents who filed a report with the schools agency, however, say they do not want their children eating the halal meat. They say the children are supposed to be getting a religion-neutral education, and they want the non-denominational schools to be banned from purchasing and serving meat from halal slaughterhouses.
