Briton Muslim farmer: 'You are what you eat'
Friday, April 13, 2007
WHEN Muhammad Ridha Payne lost faith in the provenance of halal meat, he began to rear his own range of locally sourced, ethically slaughtered organic meat.
"In the past when people ate meat they knew where it came from and more importantly who slaughtered it," says Muhammad Ridha to The Times, at his four-acre small-holding in Somerset. "These days very few Muslims can honestly say they know where their meat comes from, who reared the animal, what it was fed on and who slaughtered it."
The 31-year-old has just set up one of the country's first organic halal businesses, Abraham Natural Produce. Ridha rears chickens and goats and sources geese, turkey and lamb from local small-holders and farmers who share his vision for organic and eco-friendly farming.
He says the business came about by accident after his family uprooted from London and moved to Somerset in a bid to live a more sustainable lifestyle. "One of the reasons we set up the business was because we didn't trust that the meat we were buying from local butchers was halal," says Ridha.
Visits to local abattoirs and people in the meat industry confirmed Ridha's suspicion. "I found that not only is much of the meat not even halal, but a lot of it is from poor quality animals that have been treated unjustly. Many animals are being reared in dreadful conditions, without seeing daylight or eating a blade of grass. There is no compassion exercised towards these animals."
Ridha says compassion towards an animal is essential to remain in keeping with the 'tayib' aspect of the Quran. "'Tayib' means something that is wholesome, natural and good. Animals that have been reared in terrible conditions are not wholesome or natural." Every animal for Abraham Natural Produce is slaughtered by Ridha personally at a local abattoir to ensure the meat is a hundred per cent halal.
"Halal" refers to the way in which an animal is slaughtered - the arteries and neck are cut in a certain way to minimise pain and drain the blood, and a prayer must also be offered.
Ridha says many abattoirs pay lip service to the halal requirements and Muslims should be more wary when they see meat carrying the halal logo. "We passionately believe that 'you are what you eat'. Food that has been produced unethically will have a negative effect on you, spiritually and physically."
Ridha says his company is not registered with any regulatory body. Why? "At present we can't afford to pay the necessary fees. As a result we recognise our meat is not organic in its legal sense but rather organically reared."
The transparency of Ridha's business has impressed customers such as Maha El-Matwally, who came across Abraham Natural Produce by chance on the Internet. "I was surprised," she says. "Normally you either have halal meat or organic meat. It's very unusual to find a combination of both. I can eat meat with a peace of mind now."
The Times Online
"In the past when people ate meat they knew where it came from and more importantly who slaughtered it," says Muhammad Ridha to The Times, at his four-acre small-holding in Somerset. "These days very few Muslims can honestly say they know where their meat comes from, who reared the animal, what it was fed on and who slaughtered it."
The 31-year-old has just set up one of the country's first organic halal businesses, Abraham Natural Produce. Ridha rears chickens and goats and sources geese, turkey and lamb from local small-holders and farmers who share his vision for organic and eco-friendly farming.
He says the business came about by accident after his family uprooted from London and moved to Somerset in a bid to live a more sustainable lifestyle. "One of the reasons we set up the business was because we didn't trust that the meat we were buying from local butchers was halal," says Ridha.
Visits to local abattoirs and people in the meat industry confirmed Ridha's suspicion. "I found that not only is much of the meat not even halal, but a lot of it is from poor quality animals that have been treated unjustly. Many animals are being reared in dreadful conditions, without seeing daylight or eating a blade of grass. There is no compassion exercised towards these animals."
Ridha says compassion towards an animal is essential to remain in keeping with the 'tayib' aspect of the Quran. "'Tayib' means something that is wholesome, natural and good. Animals that have been reared in terrible conditions are not wholesome or natural." Every animal for Abraham Natural Produce is slaughtered by Ridha personally at a local abattoir to ensure the meat is a hundred per cent halal.
"Halal" refers to the way in which an animal is slaughtered - the arteries and neck are cut in a certain way to minimise pain and drain the blood, and a prayer must also be offered.
Ridha says many abattoirs pay lip service to the halal requirements and Muslims should be more wary when they see meat carrying the halal logo. "We passionately believe that 'you are what you eat'. Food that has been produced unethically will have a negative effect on you, spiritually and physically."
Ridha says his company is not registered with any regulatory body. Why? "At present we can't afford to pay the necessary fees. As a result we recognise our meat is not organic in its legal sense but rather organically reared."
The transparency of Ridha's business has impressed customers such as Maha El-Matwally, who came across Abraham Natural Produce by chance on the Internet. "I was surprised," she says. "Normally you either have halal meat or organic meat. It's very unusual to find a combination of both. I can eat meat with a peace of mind now."
The Times Online
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