Protest at halal meat use at school

Mums have criticised an Oxford school for serving halal meat in children's lunches without their knowledge.

Parents of pupils at Rose Hill Primary School, in The Oval, were angered by a letter they received from headmistress Sue Mortimer.

It informed them the halal meat had been used in all school meals as part of the school's inclusion policy.

The letter said the reason for the decision was that since halal meat was not forbidden by any religion or culture, its use would allow everyone to choose a meat dish for lunch.

But said they were upset by news the school had become the first primary in the county to ask caterers for all meat dishes to be halal, for a trial period.

Lyndsy Johnson, said: "I am angry that the headmistress seems to think she can do anything she wants without informing parents.

"Our kids do not know what they are eating now. We have got rights as well as everybody else."

Mum-of-three Sharon Haynes, 35, from Radford Close, said: "Why should we let our kids eat halal meat?"

Mum Maria O'Callaghan, from Jerseycorr Road, said: "I don't agree with the way the animals are killed for halal meat."

Mrs Mortimer was unavailable for comment. However, RaghibAli, one of the founders of the Oxford Islam and Muslim Awareness Project, said: "The meat looks the same and tastes the same. It's just a different way the animals are reared and killed. It's not cruel - it's better for the animal."

However, Dr Taj Hargey chairman of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford, believed the school was at fault for not telling parents about the change.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said three other schools in Oxford offered halal chicken up to once a week, and two more schools had requested halal meat, but had not started serving it.

Parents have now launched a petition against the use of halal meat.

About 10 mums stood outside the school gates this week to ask parents to add their signature to a petition calling on the school to offer a choice.

Frontline Punjabi Youth

All types of meat is wrong and frontline punjabi youth condemn all types of meat. However Halal meat is a meat for Muslims. It is wrong to serve non muslims halal meat without their knowledge. Halal meat is the meat of animals killed in a cruel way and the animal suffers more pain then other types of meat. They slice the throat and say their prayers while the animal has a slow and painful death. But the Bitch said it weren't cruel. Why don't she make her kid halal then!