From: shashem@cornsilk.ecn.purdue.edu (Sherif Hashem)
Subject: Re: Forbidden Food
Originator: zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Zeeshan Hasan -Moderator)
Organization: Oberlin College Computer Science
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:07:12 GMT
X-Posted-From: occs.cs.oberlin.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1i82eiINN1ug@shelley.u.washington.edu> shamshoo@u.washington.edu writes:
>Dear Muslims,
>
>I have recently gone through the Quran to settle the issue of meats ie. beef,
>lamb, and chicken and any other non-haraam animal food, and have have found
>on over eight occasions the message about the method of killing the animals in
>question mentioned above.
>
>On all times, the message says, donot eat of meats that are unclean and unwholesome, and donot eat of food that is killed in the name of any other diety then
>Allah. 
>
>As far as I know from talking with FDA and Pakistanis who work with FDA in the
>meat quality control areas, that no other name is invoked when the animals
>such as chicken, beef, and lambs are slaugthered and they are slaughtered in
>totally hygenic standards espcially much higher ones than what Pakistanis eat
>every day in Pakistan, where no one questions the issue of proper Hallal etc
>at all. 


You missed a couple of other points (at least). First of all, it is not 
the US health standards that decide whether or not the meat is halal.
The animal has to be slaughtered (not electrocuted for instance) and 
it has to be slaughtered by a muslim, christian or jew. There is also the
problem of mixing different types of meats (including pork) in making
ground beef. For example, some stores may mix few remaining pounds of
pork  with a larger quantity of beef instead of wasting it. Moreover,
some companies may use pork and beef in their products, such as in soap and
toothpaste. These are some of the issues that need to be considered. 

>
>So, my question is for people who are both VERY consicous of the Hallal issue,
>even though they donot practice the FARZ or the MUST areas of Islam, ie
>daily prayer 5 times a day, fasting 30 days in Ramadaan, Charity or Zakaat,
>and Haj or Pilgrimage to Mecca, and show no visible sign in Aaqirat or
>Day of Judgement, why is it that YOU make this the MOST IMPORTANT part of
>the daily life ?

You are mixing different issues now! 
Are you suggesting that if someone commits a certain sin then 
he/she should not worry about other sins?!

>
>The reason I ask is due to some very disturbing trend of new Muslim students
>who come here from "Islamic" countries, and starve themselves due to ignorance
>and misguidance from self proclaimed mullahs here in the U.S.
>
>
>Best Regards,
>Shams Hasan.

I don't think that discussing or investigating these issues is disturbing.
This applies to islamic as well as non islamic countries. 
The senior muslim students have a larger responsibility in helping/advising the
newcomers to this society of which foods are halal and which are 
doubtful or haram, while pointing out the reasons for that judgement. 

May Allah guide us to the right path.

Sherif Hashem

P.S. I am not trying to pass a judgement on whether the meat sold in the
US is halal or not. There are many scholars who studied this issue 
before. I am only trying to point out its importance and its validity.
--
Hi, I am a Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering.
Professor Bruce Schmeiser (my advisor) forwarded to me your
email about titan.ecn. Since I sometimes run very long simulations,
I'd like to get an account on titan.ecn