HAHAHAAHHAHAAAAA

Thanks for the links, Ali.

And Aatif, where is that grocery store with LARGE Kosher section in Ottawa?

Muslim population is growing, but more importantly, I appreciate how Canada is a compassionate secular society (to the point where I don’t even think I can call it “secular”). Not only when I see halal food in grocery stores, but others. There is a LARGE kosher section at a grocery store in Ottawa and I love that it’s there. Even if you have your reservations about kosher food, the idea that religion still has great influence on our stigmatized inconsiderate West is encouraging. This cooperation of various people and accepted inputs into society is a part of Canada, and I think has allowed me/us potential to have a great Muslim living here.
Now I say compassionate society, but you may say it’s just a marketing campaign to greatly exemplify the capitalist life here to hit up anyone to make money. The fact is, the products released are reflective of our society. So if our society is cool with it, that is what makes me feel great to live here.

You can see their own video here: http://www.zabihahalal.com/halalvideo2.html

Fatwa on use of mechanical slaughter with the context of mass production: http://hma.jucanada.org/mechanical_slaughter.aspx/user_submission_system/machine-slaughtered_meat

You can also talk to Maulana Omer Subedar in Makki Masjid, Brampton, who is one of the individuals behind the Halal Monitoring Authority project regarding Maple Lodge.

And Allah knows best.

I’ve had two other Ramadans where I was working a co-op job and it’s interesting to contrast the different ways different companies treat their Muslim employees during Ramadan. Some of them don’t even know that it’s Ramadan, but at Rogers it was pretty different. It seemed most people knew it was Ramadan and that Muslims are fasting, so when they had meetings with food or something they would always apologize because they forgot.

We (Muslims at Rogers) even had an Eid party/breakfast for the entire company on the third day of Eid. Idunno, maybe it’s the sheer number of Muslims that work there (quite a few, we have 2 jummuahs and a wudu area) that create this sort of awareness…anyway I’ve gone off topic enough

-Kashif

http://www.eidmubarak.ca/

(I wonder if they were the first to register that domain name).

It’s not a ‘halal’ product that they’re offering but I think it fits in will with the theme of this post – that a major corporation “recognizes that there is a significant Muslim population out there enough so that they branded themselves to appeal to it.”

The real kicker:
“Rogers Home Phone customers can enjoy 24 hours of free calling between from September 19th at 8pm to September 20th at 8:00pm to the UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia!

Simply pick up the phone and dial direct to your family and friends back home. It’s our way of wishing you, your family, and your friends Eid Mubarak!”

Over the past few months I’ve noticed halal meat pop up at all sorts of places. In fact, the Walmart Super Store by my house has started selling Al Safa and Maple Lodge halal products as well. In a region with a small Muslim population compared to the GTA for example, this is very exciting. At the same time, however, it raises some concerns that Muslims in larger cities like Mississauga and Toronto have been facing for some time. The concern is of false advertising and marketing.

Until more recently, Ontario has not had any type of halal regulatory board to make sure those businesses who claim to be halal are actually halal. We all wish we could give these businesses the benefit of the doubt, but the fact is many so called halal meat stores are not selling halal meat at all. Recently in Brampton Ontario a new initiative called the Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) was launched. The HMA is based off of a UK based halal meat regulator board model and is currently working with businesses around the GTA to ensure advertised halal meat is indeed halal. For more information, a list of certified halal meat sources, and discussion on hand-slaughter vs. machine slaughter, visit their website:
http://hma.jucanada.org/

-Kashif