Want something for nothing?

[eve]

It helps if you're a farmer who hasn't made provision for when a drought strikes, or a flood. Then the govt gives out millions of dollars.

Now a consortium of Queensland farmers is dishing up halal-accredited TV dinners to the lucrative Muslim market. Auspac Foods has received a $385,000 state grant to expand its Childers factory in south-east Queensland, which produces frozen meals that meet strict traditional Muslim dietary requirements.

Managing director David Burfitt says everything on the menu comes from the local region, except the curry powder. "Curries, ... we'll kick off with a goat curry and a beef curry, and then we'll follow it up with a chicken and a vegetarian curry," he said.

Childers is not far from where I live, and in my town there are so many businesses closing down - but does the govt help these people? No, they aren't farmers!

[DianeVegan]

This sounds similar to much of what happens in the US. Except here the government only helps you if you are a huge corporate, monoculture "farmer." Yet there is no help for the small farm that could go under with one bad season. Or for the farmer transitioning to organic.

[Roxy]

That is very sad Eve. However, in the most recent issue of Ode Magazine, there was an interesting little article on a similar topic.

Aparantly the Koran is quite specific on the meat eating topic. It is allowed as long as the meat is not from a carnivorous animal and as long as the animal was killed in the proper way. Also the animal must not have been mistreated during it's life.

The magazine says that this is leading to increasing numbers of Muslims turning to vegetarianism. This is because they are becoming increasingly aware of factory farming attrocities, where of course, the animals are mistreated. And also, as animal waste is being used a base for livestock feed, they are not adhering to the "meat not being from a carnivorous animal" rule.

The Koran also says, that each animal killed for food are to have their throats cut while the name of Allah is chanted. According to Ode, this doesn't happen in some of the larger Muslim slaughter houses. In some of these places, they will invoke the name of Allah at the beginning of the day, ask for his blessing and then get on with the task at hand (ie, mass murder of animals).

So all things considered, vegetarianism is a seemingly good option for Muslims