Marusya
08-30-2015, 04:41 AM
Move by Belgian syrup factory to enter Islamic markets sparks protests and a row over national identity. Some Belgians claim the food is now unfit for Catholics.
Belgians are raging over a minor change to the label of their favorite breakfast spread, said Béatrice Delvaux. The word “halal” recently appeared on the side of the jam like Sirop de Liège, signifying that it’s free from pork, alcohol, and other ingredients the Quran forbids Muslims from eating. In fact, the gooey fruit syrup has always been halal, because it contains no animal products; the label was added only to boost exports to Muslim countries.
Yet Sirop de Liège is a national institution, and the new designation led some grocers and officials to protest what they see as the creeping Islamization of society. Muslim-Belgians, meanwhile, felt that the outcry was a sign of Islamophobia. Both groups must try harder to see each other’s point of view. Non-Muslims should recognize the need to label for export, while Muslims should understand that people who don’t follow Islam chafe when they believe beloved products have been changed to meet that religion’s specifications. We need “a constructive debate, as in marriage counseling,” where each side can say, “This is what bothers me about the way you do things.” The point won’t be for one side to win, but for both to come up with “a way to live together.”
http://www.lesoir.be/962142/article/debats/editos/2015-08-14/halal-arretons-jouer-sur-peurs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/11808078/Belgian-fruit-syrup-faces-boycott-calls-over-halal-labelling.html
Belgians are raging over a minor change to the label of their favorite breakfast spread, said Béatrice Delvaux. The word “halal” recently appeared on the side of the jam like Sirop de Liège, signifying that it’s free from pork, alcohol, and other ingredients the Quran forbids Muslims from eating. In fact, the gooey fruit syrup has always been halal, because it contains no animal products; the label was added only to boost exports to Muslim countries.
Yet Sirop de Liège is a national institution, and the new designation led some grocers and officials to protest what they see as the creeping Islamization of society. Muslim-Belgians, meanwhile, felt that the outcry was a sign of Islamophobia. Both groups must try harder to see each other’s point of view. Non-Muslims should recognize the need to label for export, while Muslims should understand that people who don’t follow Islam chafe when they believe beloved products have been changed to meet that religion’s specifications. We need “a constructive debate, as in marriage counseling,” where each side can say, “This is what bothers me about the way you do things.” The point won’t be for one side to win, but for both to come up with “a way to live together.”
http://www.lesoir.be/962142/article/debats/editos/2015-08-14/halal-arretons-jouer-sur-peurs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/11808078/Belgian-fruit-syrup-faces-boycott-calls-over-halal-labelling.html