Flanders: Vlaams Belang campaigning against halal

Vlaams Belang will be conducting a campaign in the upcoming weeks to inform Flemish consumers about the increasing supply of halal products. "Consumers against Islamization" doesn't support a boycott, emphasized Filip Dewinter in a press conference. The growth of halal products does fit in with the radicalization of the Muslim movement.

Vlaams Belang is focusing on halal meat, where the butcher must be Muslim and follow strict regulations during the slaughter. The party says that according to some Muslim authorities the animal must not be anesthetized, and according to other Muslim authorities is is allowed, as long as its reversible.

Dewinter recognizes that not all Muslim strictly follow the halal regulations, and many don't consume halal slaughtered meat, as long as it's not pork. But for the past few decades the Muslim community has been radicalizing, the Quran is used as an authority and the Muslims in the ghettos are required to follow the Muslim behavior code more and more strictly.

According to Vlaams Belang this radicalization is also noticeable in consumerism. In many branches of the big warehouse stores there are halal products and food firms produce special halal brands. Dewinter says that giving in to the sharia demand concerning food open the door for further Islamization. He also points out that slaughter without anesthesia conflicts with the western ethical norms and more specifically with the law regarding animal welfare.

Source: HLN (Dutch)