Halal isn’t quite Kosher (and Kosher isn’t quite Halal)

by David Safier

I went to an interesting talk last night by Prof. Joe Regenstein from Cornell University whose field is food science and heads the Kosher and Halal Food Institute. I know a fair amount about Jewish kosher law but very little about Muslim Halal law.

Basically, they're quite similar, with Kosher law being stricter in its rules about meat, for instance. Also, Kosher laws don't allow the mixing of milk and meat, not a problem for Halal. Halal forbids alcohol, not a problem for Kosher. Neither allows its adherents to eat pork. There are other differences, but the similarities are much stronger.

According to Regenstein, about 30-40% of grocery items sold in supermarkets are kosher. Look for a U with a circle around it or a K with a circle around it, and a few other symbols. Everyone buys these items all the time without being aware of it (Most cereals, for instance, are labeled kosher). Far fewer items are labeled Halal — usually an M with a crescent circle around it — but given the size of the Muslim population here and worldwide, it's a growing market. Many items are certified both Kosher and Halal since the rules are so similar.

All this fear of Shariah law nonsense is just that — nonsense [see NOTE below]. What smart capitalist wouldn't try to expand market share by appealing to its potential Muslim consumers? What reasonable college wouldn't give its Muslim students the same dietary considerations it gives Jewish students, or make allowance for other observant practices?

Forms of prejudice and repression against one minority, religious or otherwise, are a threat to all minorities, not to mention a threat to America's aspirations toward greater tolerance. Intolerance is a problem all of us should be concerned about, not just the affected groups.

NOTE: My statement about fears of Shariah law refers only to the U.S. (I'm adding this because of a comment that seemed to think I was going further.) When people say they fear that additions of Halal food or allowances for Muslim observance made at colleges and elsewhere in this country are a first step toward Shariah law, they're being fearmongers or idiots. However, when a country adopts Shariah law and forces it on its citizens, that's a whole different story.