France: Town sues restaurant for serving halal
I reported about this more than a month ago. A couple of months ago the Quick fast food chain decided to serve only halal food at eight of its branches for a test-run period. For some reason, it's now hit the news again, apparently due to the upcoming local elections.
From Quick's point of view, the move was made for purely commercial reasons, and it seems to be having the desired effects (ie, more money for Quick). How does 'discrimination' figure in here? Don't businesses have a right to sell whatever they want to?
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A French council has lodged a complaint against a fast food chain that serves only meat that conforms with Islamic dietary laws at a local branch.
The mayor of Roubaix, in northern France, said the halal menu constituted "discrimination" against non-Muslims.
The Roubaix branch is one of several restaurants at which the chain, Quick, took non-halal products and pork off the menu in November.
The move has triggered the latest row over France's Muslim minority.
Several deputies from French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative UMP party have condemned the move, while Marine Le Pen, a vice-president of the far-right National Front, warned of "Islamisation".
Their comments came ahead of regional elections in France next month, and against the backdrop of a debate over French national identity launched by Mr Sarkozy's government.
In Roubaix, Mayor Rene Vandierendonck, a socialist, called for a boycott of the Quick branch, and the town council has filed a complaint for discrimination with a regional court in Lille.
"I'm not bothered by the fact that there is a halal menu," Mr Vandierendonck said.
"But this is going too far because it is the only menu on offer and it has become discrimination."
Quick decided to take a bacon hamburger off the menu at eight of its 350 branches, replacing it with a halal version that comes with smoked turkey.
(more)
Source: BBC (English)
I reported about this more than a month ago. A couple of months ago the Quick fast food chain decided to serve only halal food at eight of its branches for a test-run period. For some reason, it's now hit the news again, apparently due to the upcoming local elections.
From Quick's point of view, the move was made for purely commercial reasons, and it seems to be having the desired effects (ie, more money for Quick). How does 'discrimination' figure in here? Don't businesses have a right to sell whatever they want to?
-------------
A French council has lodged a complaint against a fast food chain that serves only meat that conforms with Islamic dietary laws at a local branch.
The mayor of Roubaix, in northern France, said the halal menu constituted "discrimination" against non-Muslims.
The Roubaix branch is one of several restaurants at which the chain, Quick, took non-halal products and pork off the menu in November.
The move has triggered the latest row over France's Muslim minority.
Several deputies from French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative UMP party have condemned the move, while Marine Le Pen, a vice-president of the far-right National Front, warned of "Islamisation".
Their comments came ahead of regional elections in France next month, and against the backdrop of a debate over French national identity launched by Mr Sarkozy's government.
In Roubaix, Mayor Rene Vandierendonck, a socialist, called for a boycott of the Quick branch, and the town council has filed a complaint for discrimination with a regional court in Lille.
"I'm not bothered by the fact that there is a halal menu," Mr Vandierendonck said.
"But this is going too far because it is the only menu on offer and it has become discrimination."
Quick decided to take a bacon hamburger off the menu at eight of its 350 branches, replacing it with a halal version that comes with smoked turkey.
(more)
Source: BBC (English)
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