Irish Muslims call for fast-food outlets to incorporate halal in menus

A spokesperson of Nando’s said: 'Unfortunately, we don’t have any current plans to open a halal restaurant in Ireland at this time due mainly to the lack of viable halal chicken supply.' File picture: Nick Bradshaw

An online petition signed by Irish Muslims is calling on fast-food restaurants to incorporate halal in their menus. The petition has attracted over 1,000 signatures to date.

Halal is an essential element of an observant Muslim diet but is difficult to come by in eateries.

Ireland has a growing Muslim population, thought to be now numbering 100,000 people.

Baisat Alawiye, 19, started the petition and says her campaign is focused on the Nando’s chain but hopes it would get the attention of other mainstream fast-food restaurants.

The English and philosophy student at Maynooth University said: "Nando’s is aware of Muslims' dietary needs. In the UK they have 76 halal restaurants out of their 434 branches. Muslims make up about 5% of the UK’s population. In Ireland, Muslims make up 2% of our population, yet we have no halal options in any of the 10 Nando’s outlets in Ireland.

"We’re not asking too much," Alawiye said. 

It is unfair to see restaurants adapting to the needs of vegans but not that of Muslims. 

"Halal are animals slaughtered in a certain way. Providing these products should be easy when compared to making vegan foods, which requires much more effort," she said.

The lack of halal menus in fast-food restaurants has led to the springing up of privately run halal meat shops in Cork, where there are more than 5,000 Muslims. However, they are still not enough to cater to the needs of Cork’s growing Muslim population, says Ali Hamou, a Muslim leader who has lived in Cork for 20 years.

‘‘Things are better now. We have about eight halal shops in Cork. When I moved here there was none,’’ Hamou said.

A spokesperson of Nando’s said: “We decide whether to serve halal chicken in our restaurants based on a number of things like the local population, what is available in the area, and the availability of halal chicken in our supply chain.

"Unfortunately, we don’t have any current plans to open a halal restaurant in Ireland at this time due mainly to the lack of viable halal chicken supply."