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I certainly understood the point you were making in your posts ...... you are absolutely correct, it is important to "draw the line somewhere". There will always be those that somehow think Education should be an "experience" to learn "culture". These are the same mind-sets that go to expensive Universities for the "College Experience" and fail to get an education that will be useful to get a job.
If New Yorkers are dumb enough to bend all their school rules for accommodation to each and every Religion, lack of Religion, ethnic group or whatever - instead of concentrating on Education .... then it is up to the local Taxpayers to set them straight. Exactly the same thing for St Paul, Nashville, Seattle or Dallas. People have to step up and draw that line. They have to do it early before they go so far down that slippery slope that they lose it all. By "all", I mean the entire Education process.
School lunches should offer variety, they should decide at the local level what to offer .... the Federal Government has no business mandating what our children eat. Kids that have Religious dietary restrictions should bring their lunches, just as the children who have food allergies do.
So ... I don't care what they do in New York City because I'm an 'active' citizen and attend both School Board meetings and City Council meetings when these types of issues arise in my city. I pay attention to issues, it's my city, my schools, my children (now grandchildren) and it's my tax dollars.
The "agenda" around my area is Educate the Children .... PERIOD.
Why not be fair and allow all foods including junk food? Why one religion must have their own food when others are excluded?
That was my point... culture and religion are generally intertwined. As far as dietary choices, I see no problem offering a diverse menu of food choices. Eating food that would fall into "islamic dietary guidelines" does not mean the school is endorsing a particular religion. It is simply a choice that should exist.
Students should have the ability to eat as many different foods from as many cultures as possible. That is part of education.
I think that offering an alternative which meets halal requirements, is a good sight different than requiring all food be halal. Basically, it would involve separate food preparation areas for the halal and non halal food.
You might have one alternative which is Halal/Kosher/Vegetarian, with vegetables, dairy and grains...and one option which does not have to meet the halal or kosher guidelines. The problem about making meat halal, is that halal butchering is very specific. The live animal's throat must be slit while the butcher says "God is great". It does not allow for stunning the animal first -- by contrast, in most developed nations, butchers are required to stun animals prior to butchering, for humane reasons. So many people may object to only having halal meat on offer in schools, partially for cruelty concerns, and partially because it essentially disallows anyone but muslim butchers to supply meat contracts. What is Halal Meat? Dhabiha This is the name for the halal method of slaughter, which requires that animals are killed with a swift incision to the throat from a razor sharp blade. The animal must never see another animal being slaughtered nor must it ever see the blade being sharpened. Animals must be checked prior to slaughter to ensure they are healthy and given clean water to drink, once they have drunk they are turned to face Mecca, the name of Allah is spoken and then the throat is cut and the blood drained from the carcass.
Before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, Kosher meat butchering also does not allow for stunning the animal first.
Just add a vegetarian option. Many problems solved at once.
If parents STILL have a problem, pack your kid's lunch.
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