
Originally Posted by
Mr Simpkins member for Cowan Australian Government
Cowan Electorate: Halal Foods
Mr SIMPKINS (Cowan) (09:44): I recently presented a petition in parliament calling for all meats that had
been slaughtered in the manner of the Islamic religion to be clearly labelled as such. The petition, which was
presented to me by the Barnabas Fund, stated that, while they support the freedom of religious groups to access
food and other products that meet with the requirements of their faith, they are concerned about the massive
growth of sharia-compliant products being sold to Australians, whatever their faith, often without being informed
or consulted. As a result of the petition, I investigated in my electorate in Western Australia and found that almost
every animal, apart from pigs, is killed in accordance with the Islamic religious requirements known as halal. So,
when you go to Coles, Woolworths, IGA or other supermarkets, you cannot purchase the meat for your Aussie
barbecue without the influence of this minority religion. You have no choice. And the point is that almost no
Australians are aware of this, because it is not labelled.
Why is this the case? Why is it that we are being provided with meat that is slaughtered in accordance with the
practices of the Islamic religion? I expect it is convenience and marketing for these meat providers, but it is
important that everyone should also be aware that Mohammed, the prophet of Islam—as reported in the Hadith,
the traditions of Islam, the book second only to the Koran—talked of how Islam would be furthered to those parts
of the world that had not yet embraced it. He reportedly said, 'The non-believers will become Muslims when,
amongst other things, they eat the meat that we have slaughtered.' This is one of the key aspects to converting
nonbelievers to Islam.
As many people would be aware, halal forms part of the sharia system. Most people know sharia to be a system
of laws relating to the Islamic religion. Any religion's adherents, of course, can make personal choices about the
way and the standards by which they live their lives. This is as true for Christians as it is for Muslims. We should
have no trouble with personal standards. But a religion is not a social or a political system, and those who believe
it to be so, by implication stand against our great democracy.
Consumers are being denied information about meat. Meat killed in accordance with the Islamic religion's
requirements should be labelled accordingly. By having Australians unwittingly eating halal food we are all one
step down the path towards the conversion, and that is a step we should only make with full knowledge and one
that should not be imposed upon us without us knowing. What is happening is wrong. Too often the minorities in
this country are looked after without regard to the majority. The time has come for this to stop. I call upon the
following businesses in Western Australia and every business in Australia to clearly label halal meat and stop
deceiving Australians: V&V Walsh, Western Meat Packers, Harvey Beef, WAMMCo, Hillside Tender Meats,
Inghams and Steggles.
In closing, I would like to recognise two Western Australian companies, Mount Barker Free Range Chickens
and Dardanup Butchers Company, who have not yet yielded to the pressure to impose halal food on everybody
regardless of their faith.
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