Offensive to Muslims’: Aussie Butcher Refuses
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Refuses to Remove ‘Not Halal’ Sign
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A butcher shop in Australia has refused to signage that declares its products are “not halal certified,” in defiance of advertising authorities alleging it was “inciting hatred” towards Islamic people by advertising its wares in such a way.
The Valley Butchers in Adelaide, South Australia, became the subject of a complaint to the Australian Advertising Standards Authority after the owners put up a sign that originally read “non halal certified” on their store front, surrounded by smaller stickers of Australian national emblems of kangaroos and emus.
Valley Butchers defended the sign as merely a factual answer to a frequently asked question about the origin of their meat: “The sign is only stating that we are not halal approved. In no way is it meant in a malice way,” it said, according to the Daily Mail.
“We where getting asked quite frequently whether we are halal approved so I am just stating that we are not and that saves a lot of wasted time.”
Complainants saw it another way, with one quoted in the Ad Standards finding alleging the signage “perpetuate
The board agreed, saying the sign amounted to “inciting hatred or contempt” against Muslims.
“Using the phrase ‘non-Halal certified’ in conjunction with imagery of Australian animals was a suggestion that Islamic dietary practices are not Australian,” it said.
In response, the butchers changed the sign to read “not halal certified’ and do not intend to make any more changes:
" Firstly we at Valley Butchers would like to thank everyone for the support and encouragement, it’s been amazing! It’s wonderful how loud as Australians wherever we are around the world our voices can be heard, as long as we speak as one. "
Secondly as long as we own the shop the sign won’t ever come down! Thank you once again from the team at Valley Butchers!