Stiff Bicky's.

By Ellen Connolly.
August 1 2002.

A Muslim man denied access to halal food in jail has taken his case to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, claiming racial discrimination and victimisation.

Rahiman Khan, 41, who was jailed four years ago for assault and detaining a person against their will, told the tribunal the Junee Correctional Centre had failed to provide him with food prepared in accordance with Islamic halal food rules.

Halal food cannot contain pork and must be blessed by a recognised Muslim leader.

Khan's initial complaint was dismissed by the Administrative Decisions Tribunal in June 2000 on a point of law, which included whether the term "ethno-religious" in the Anti-Discrimination Act included Muslims.

Khan, now being held at Long Bay Jail and with another four years to serve, appealed. Yesterday it was upheld and the parties were ordered to submit amended points of defence for hearing.

"The tribunal concluded ... all adherents to the Muslim religion are entitled, pursuant to the 1977 (Anti-Discrimination) Act, to be considered to be a racial group for the purpose of that legislation. Accordingly the tribunal determined that Mr Khan as a Muslim fell within the act's definition of race," the judgement said.

A spokesman for the Department of Corrective Services, Bob Stapleton, it was "totally impractical" for the state's 27 jails to provide halal food at the moment due to the strict requirements of the culture.

"I have talked to our head caterer, who tells me halal is like kosher and requires special preparation," he said.

"To actually prepare halal food we would have to provide a stand-alone kitchen because you cannot use the same utensils or aprons or instruments.

"If we can find a suitable external provider we will."

Mr Stapleton said Jewish inmates were offered kosher food from an external catering service. "They pay the difference of what it costs us for a normal meal and what the kosher meal costs, so there's no expense to the taxpayer."

He said the department made provisions for special religious events including passover and Ramadan. With about 300 Muslims in jail in NSW, the department recognised it had a duty of care.
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Copy and paste comment.
I have seen a vidio of halal slaughtermen in New Zealand. The company engineers had welded
an arrow pointing towards the east, so any prayer's headed in the right direction. Great stuff. They did not cut the sheeps throat, just pushed their butchers knife in to the side of the throat and wriggled it around. The usual sticker whose job was to cut the sheep's throat's just stood by. The sheep going up the chain were still alive to some extent when they arrived at the legging table.

A barbaric practice.