FCPS schools should offer halal meat

Dear Editor,

FCPS schools serve lunches like cheeseburgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs. Delicious, right? Not for Muslim students. None of the meat served in FCPS cafeterias is halal, a word describing permissible meat in the Islamic religion. Halal meat does not taste, smell, look or feel different from “normal meat,” meaning it would not change the eating experience of students who are not required to eat halal meat.

I have been in the situation where I wanted to take a snack to eat, but was forced to take a burger with it. At the end of lunch, I had to throw away a perfectly good burger because the meat wasn’t halal and I wasn’t able to eat it. This situation happens frequently and can waste a lot of food.

Serving only non-halal meat in schools restricts Muslim students in what they can eat during school, which should be a place that accommodates and adjusts to students’ needs as much as possible. It is unfair and ignorant to limit the amount and type of food that Muslim students can eat, when this is not a hard change to make. Making halal meat available in FCPS schools is the right thing to do.

Sincerely,
Leena Geloo
seventh grade
Fairfax, Virginia