- The Guardian, Wednesday 5 February 2014 20.16 GMT
A Ukip MEP who is under fire over his remarks about Islam also suggested banning halal and kosher slaughter of animals and outlawing the legal recognition of Islamic banking.
In 2011 Gerard Batten was the author of a four-page paper entitled “Confidential draft – Dismantling Multiculturalism”, which was billed as a policy discussion document with “suggested policies that could be adopted by political parties and governments”.
It was sent to members of Christian Concern, a group that believes that abortion should be illegal and homosexuality is a sin. Batten said he held a meeting with them and sent a document to some of their members.
The paper claims that multiculturalism has failed and offers a doom-laden warning about the threat of radical Muslims. “Islamic fundamentalism is the cuckoo in the western multicultural nest. We can either address it now or be destroyed by it in the course of time,” he wrote.
A future government should also ban the religious slaughter of animals, he suggests. “Repeal the act of parliament that gives exception for ritual slaughter for religious reasons. These are outmoded and barbaric practices that have no place in the 21st century or in the light of humane animal welfare policies,” he wrote.
Batten also suggested that Ukip might consider dropping any laws that recognise Islamic banking: “Repeal the Act (???) that gives official recognition to Islamic banking.” There are no references to Islamic finance in UK legislation, according to the Treasury.
On Tuesday, the Guardian reported that Batten supported the creation of a code of conduct for British Muslims and argued for a ban on new mosques in Britain. Batten is an MEP representing London, and is top of the party’s list for the city in the elections in May.
On Wednesday, before details of Batten’s latest policy position emerged, the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, was forced to disown the London MEP’s call for a “charter of Muslim understanding”.
Farage said: “This was a private publication from Gerard Batten in 2006 and its contents are not and never have been Ukip policy. No such policy proposals would have been accepted by Ukip in any case. Ukip believes in treating people equally.”
The party is keen to shake off its image as a disparate group of eccentrics and to approach May’s European elections as a serious electoral force.
David Cameron described them as “a bunch of fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists”. Batten described the 2011 document as an “off-the-top-of-my-head draft of a document which was for a policy discussion which so far has never been published”. He said it was “a rough draft which I would like to publish in due course but it’s not one of my priorities at the moment. You can’t hold me to anything in it.”
He declined to say whether he supported banning religious slaughter, but added that he made those suggestions to ensure they had a lively discussion. “If you put a few off the wall things down it makes the conversation interesting, doesn’t it?” he said. In the paper, under the heading “Policy suggestions”, Batten also wrote that the government should consider dropping the display of languages such as Hindi, Urdu or Polish from public institutions.
“There must be one language used in national and political institutions and publicly funded places (excluding historical differences such a Welsh in Wales or Gaelic in Scotland). In England only English must be displayed in public buildings such as local and national government offices, universities, colleges, schools, hospitals, clinics etc” he wrote.
To understand the Science behind the Halaal Meat, We need to understand the Medical Test. Doctor generally asks first thing to go for Blood Test. Because Blood caries Germs also, it mostly shows the first symptoms of Deceases. There are many dangerous deceases spread by Blood. In all other processes of Slaughter the blood does not comes out of the animal, so it could be very dangerous to eat those un-hygienic meat. BUT with the process of Halaal, Blood comes out of the Animal Naturally. So it is not true that if the Slaughter is not according to Islam, then just say Bismillah and eat it. Even in Surah-006 Al-Inaam, Ayaat 121, Allah very clearly warned NOT to eat on which Allah’s name has not been proclaimed. So always be careful about Halaal and Haraam. Life is a gift from Allah to protect it and be healthy.
Drink Halaal, Eat Halaal, Talk Halaal, Listen Halaal, Wear Halaal. In Brief Adopt Halaal in your whole life.
The rising acceptance of halal meat due to its scientific and hygienic slaughtering and processing methods is spicing up the US 600 billion global halal meat market impressively.
Studies have shown that halal slaughter protects consumers from many diseases which are not possible in the conventional methods used in many countries.
Ahead of a key halal conclave in Sharjah, experts opine that halal slaughter of animals has a great role in preventing infectious diseases, and is seen one of the main reasons for the popularity of the product even among non-Muslims.
“The way the slaughtering process is carried out is of significant importance for both human health and safety and quality of the meat. Halal slaughter involves cutting of jugular veins, throat and oesophagus, which facilitates draining of blood from the animal and thus prevents growth and multiplication of harmful micro-organisms,” said Dr. Ibrahim Hussein Ahmed Abd El Rahim, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarama, Saudi Arabia.
“Prevention of neck separation is very important to complete the bleeding process to remove all the blood from carcass. Blood is a typical media for proliferation of different kinds of microbes, therefore its complete removal from the slaughtered animal is vital to protect consumers from infectious diseases,” he said.
Dr. Ibrahim Hussein Ahmed Abd El Rahim will be attending the upcoming Halal Congress Middle East that will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from December 16 to 18, 2013. It will be organized alongside the 2nd OIC Halal Middle East Exhibition which is held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
Globally, the halal market that spans from food to finance and tourism is worth US 3 trillion. According to latest estimates, halal products have two billion consumers worldwide that grows more than 20 per cent annually.
Realizing the importance of the subject, a panel discussion will be dedicated to the science behind halal during the three-day congress. To be chaired by Shawky Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, Sheikh Al-Azhar, Grand Mufti of Egypt, the discussion will take up issues of stunning, mechanical slaughtering, tasmiah and animal feed, among others.
Panellists for the discussion include Mufti Taqi Usmani from Pakistan; Mufti Mustafa Ceric from Bosnia; Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, from Russia, Mr Nabil A Molla, Secretary General of GCC Standardization Organization and Dr. Abdulqahir Mohammad Qamar of International Islamic Fiqah Academy, Saudi Arabia.
It will also feature representatives from the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries; Emirates Standards & Metrology Authority-UAE; National Accreditation Council-Pakistan; JAKIM – Halal Certification Authority-Malaysia; MUI – Majlis Ulema-Indonesia; and Halal Science Centre-Thailand.
Besides, reflecting the surging trade between the region and Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, has signed up as Platinum Sponsor to talk about the Goodness of Australian Meat.
The association of Meat and Livestock Australia with the congress comes at a time when Australia’s red meat exports to the Middle East in May this year totalled 16,492 tonnes, a 46 per cent increase year-on-year and 7 per cent above the previous record set in April 2013, according to Meat and Livestock Australia figures.
Other topics to be taken up for discussion at the congress include tapping the growing halal trade; halal cosmetics, pharmaceuticals & tourism; benefits of halal certification; Islamic banking & takawful; technology for halal food traceability and harmonization of halal standards.
IA
London School of Islamics Trust
http://www.londonschoolofislamis.org.uk