(Politico) French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin faced ridicule and criticism on Wednesday for expressing shock at dedicated aisles in supermarkets for halal and kosher food.
Darmanin told BFM TV late on Tuesday that he has “always been shocked to walk into a supermarket and see that there was an aisle of such [religious] community food,” implying that the separate sale of these products can contribute to the isolation of minority communities and even lead to radicalization.
“I understand very well the halal butcher shops, … the kosher butcher shops. I do not criticize the consumers but those who sell them something. I understand very well that halal meat is sold in a supermarket, what I regret is the aisles … So you have the aisle for Muslims, the kosher aisle and then all the others … Why specific aisles?” he said.
