Government & Politics

New York eatery spreads Netanyahu photo on floor for customers to step on Palestinian-American shawarma joint introduces 'floor of shame' of images of prominent world leaders, with owner asking patrons to step on them to receive service

(Ynet) Popular Palestinian shawarma restaurant King of Falafel and Shawarma located in New York is asking diners to step on a picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they enter. The eatery’s owner placed images of political leaders including Netanyahu and U.S. […]

Academics & Education

School serves ‘halal only’ lunches as local council faces demands for urgent answers A mother was left bemused after her daughter’s secondary school refused to provide non-halal meat options

(GB News) A local council is being quizzed by a leading Conservative politician after a secondary school started offering “halal only” lunches. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies approached the Vale of Glamorgan Council after a constituent flagged Cowbridge Comprehensive School only […]

Animals

Makeshift slaughterhouse in a residential garage points to growing concerns about illicit meat sales Lack of inspection, unsanitary conditions raise risk of food-borne illness, says expert

(CBC) Inside a garage in an established Edmonton neighbourhood, animals were being slaughtered and the meat was advertised for sale to consumers, a CBC News investigation has learned. Police entered the rented garage in the quiet residential Woodcroft community in February 2023. […]

Animals

Top European rights court upholds ban on ritual animal slaughter After losing their case at the EU’s top court in Luxembourg, a coalition of Muslims and Jews turned to the European Court of Human Rights.

(Courthouse News) Europe’s top rights court upheld a ban on killing livestock without first stunning them, finding on Tuesday that animal welfare could trump religious practice. A mixed-faith group of people and organizations brought the complaint to the European Court of Human […]

Halal

Federal judge sends Muslim inmate’s lawsuit to trial over denial of religious diet Although self-represented, a jury could find Ray Anthony Smith established a violation of his constitutional rights, a judge ruled

(Colorado Politics) A jury will decide whether Colorado Department of Corrections officials violated an incarcerated man’s rights by terminating his religious diet when he purchased multiple items that allegedly were in conflict with his meal plan. On Aug. 3, U.S. District Court […]

Academics & Education

Muslim schoolchildren in France often denied food options that fit their faith Court ruling found offering alternate menu choices did not violate secularist principles, argue concerned parents in petition, saying their children often go hungry

(Anadolu) Although the subject gets little media coverage, the problem of food in French school cafeterias is a headache for many parents of Muslim students. Citing their version of secularism, some mayors have decided not to offer alternative menus in school cafeterias. […]

Animals

Urgent conference on religious slaughter to be held by European Commission In a document that the participants received, obtained by the Post, the European Commission elaborated that it 'is committed to ensuring freedom of religion or belief in the EU.'

(Jerusalem Post) The European Commission (EC) will hold an urgent conference on Thursday about religious slaughter titled “Freedom of religion with regard to religious slaughter,” the Jerusalem Post has learned. The participants were asked to keep a low profile and not speak […]

Fasting

Muslim inmate sues US jail for denying halal, timely meals during Ramadan Norman Simmonds was denied a halal diet because the jail could not 'confirm the devoutness of his beliefs,' according to lawsuit filed with help of Cair-Georgia

(Middle East Eye) A Muslim prisoner in the US state of Georgia has filed a lawsuit challenging his detention facility’s refusal to provide him halal meals during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations […]

Animals

Top EU official: Religious slaughter bans paint Jews, Muslims as ‘medieval’ Official tasked with fighting anti-Semitism also urges EU countries to properly criminalize Holocaust denial.

(Politico) Belgian bans on the ritual slaughter of animals practiced by Jews and Muslims risk painting these minorities as “medieval” communities with no respect for animal life, the EU’s top official tasked with fighting anti-Semitism across Europe said. Since 2019, citing concerns […]

Animals

Belgium’s Muslim community challenges halal slaughter ban at Strasbourg Court Belgium’s ban on ritual animal cutting curbs religious freedom, support[s] populist attacks against minorities, organizations argue

(Anadolu) The Muslim community in Belgium will appeal at the European Court of Human Rights against the ban on ritual halal animal slaughtering. “The Belgian Muslim Executive and the Coordination Council of Islamic Institutions of Belgium will challenge at the European Court […]