Halal meat may not be so kosher for Westerners

I was watching Pat Condell latest rant the other day. The British comedian turned atheism activist was complaining about multiculturalism in the UK. According to him, all grocery stores are now stocking halal meat to appease Muslims. All of it is halal because it is easier and cheaper for slaughterhouses to use one method. So what exactly is halal meat?

I decided to look it up on that great god of knowledge, Wikipedia. In order for a meat to be halal, it must be slaughtered in the correct way, known as Dhabiha. Wikipedia defines it as such...

Ḏabīḥah (ذَبِيْحَة) is the prescribed method of slaughtering all animals excluding fish and most sea-life per Islamic law. This method of slaughtering animals consists of a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife that cuts the front of the throat, the carotid artery, wind pipe and jugular veins but leaves the spinal cord intact. The objective of this technique is to more effectively drain the body of the animal's blood, resulting in "more hygienic" meat.

Many animal rights groups feel this method of slaughter is cruel to the animal. In many cases, the animal is not rendered unconscious before being killed. Groups such as the Farm Animal Welfare Council and the RSPCA have spoken out against the practise. The UK Ministry of Food and Farming suggested in 2008 that all halal and kosher meat products should be labelled to help consumers choose.

I'm no animal rights activist. I enjoy my meat supper as much as the next man. However, this definitely grinds my gears. It seems unnecessarily cruel to the animal. Chopping a chicken's head off with an axe is more humane.

If you have any respect for animal welfare, you should avoid eating both halal and the similar kosher meats. I could be wrong on some of this stuff, so please correct me if I am. Regardless, it's enlightened me a bit. There are definitely some Middle Eastern restaurants I will not be going to anymore.