Freedom of Food

It looks like Denmark may hopefully have another score point in freedom of speech - for food. Neander News (via Michelle Malkin) translates an article from Jyllands-Posten that discusses how schools in Copenhagen are trying to restore pork meat for students to dine on during lunch hours:

Students in the Copenhagen council schools shall no longer be denied the choice of pork when they buy their daily hot lunch in the school’s canteen.

Out of consideration to pupils with a moslem background there is presently only halal-butchered meat - and no pork at all - in the daily hot meals which are offered at a price of 15 kroner (appr. 2,35 US $) in the canteens of the 49 schools run by the council of Copenhagen.

A political majority in the council’s committee for children and youngsters now demand that porkchops and meatballs be introduced on the menu.

“We need to see more freedom of choice in the canteens. It’s fine with me that the ethnic minorities can have halal-meat but those who want pork should find it available. When it comes to food there are many minorities and they should all be accomodated”, says Jan Andreasen, spokesman on educational issues for the [ruling] Social Democrats.

He suggests that some days of the week there will be dishes of pork, vegetarian meals or fish. He makes it clear that he is not opposed to halal butchering which means that the throat of the animal is slit while it is still alive but unconscious.

Liberal and conservative politicians are in favor of pork and other non-halal dishes being on offer in the canteens every day.

“We suggest two or three different meals to choose among in order that both christians, jews and moslems are accomodated,” says Pia Allerslev, council member from Venstre, the liberal party of Denmark.

Conservative council leader Majbritt Mamsen would rather that no halal-meat at all was served. “It just is not right that my own and other children should eat food which has been processed in accordance with the rituals of a foreign religion. As a minimum we ought to be able to offer pork or other sorts of non-halal meat to the children of non-moslem background”, Majbritt Mamsen says.

Well as it so happens, if the children of non-Muslim backgrounds want to eat pork meat, that's their business, and Muslims needn't pay any attention. That's exactly what Muslims would be advised to start learning, that being to just ignore what bothers them.

See also this topic from Judith Apter Klinghoffer at History News Network for more.

Crossposted to Tel-Chai Nation.