Expat M’sian’s highlight of halal fast food joints earns praise; not viewed as entitled, pushy behaviour

 

CLIPS of a Malaysian Muslim abroad ‘innocently’ questioning staff at fast food outlets (purportedly KFC and Burger King in Finland) on the halal status of its produce has led to some debate.

Was this a courteous enquiry or a reflection of a deep sense of entitlement? According to Threader @damia.insyirahhh, it was most definitely the latter as demanding to see halal certificates was going overboard.

“The sin is on the workers if they lied,” she harumphed, declaring that these sorts should just stay home and not travel.

 

For good measure, the irate Threader shared the Tik Tok account of the halal activist, believing this was mere content creation which unfortunately shed a bad light on Muslims worldwide.

It was insinuated that such actions made Muslims seem pushy and needed to be accommodated “even when they don’t have to”.

“Please don’t be overly entitled and spoil the image of Muslims worldwide,” she lamented.

Perhaps misreading the room, the backlash among Muslims was quite swift and summary. Firstly, it was pointed out that the young lady in the clip is not a tourist but is living in Finland (her spouse is apparently pursuing further studies).

It was noted that the clips were done for the benefit of Malaysian tour guides who found such info on halal status of restaurants useful as it was based on a person’s due diligence on checking the necessary certs as opposed to mere hearsay.

‘Ultra-polite enquirer’

More than a few commenters were perplexed at this highlighting of a non-issue. It is the responsibility of Muslims to be aware of what they consume.

Backing up the intentions of the original video creator, a few international globetrotters remarked that they found such content useful as they now could dine at KFC and Burger King outlets in Finland assured in the knowledge that these outlets use halal produce.

It was also pointedly noted that the lady in the video was ultra-polite in her enquiries, so what was the fuss all about anyway?

Deep-rooted fears of alien cultures misunderstanding the concept of halal were recounted by several travellers who had unpleasant experiences in South Korea.

It was then pointed out that when in such foreign countries, perhaps it is advisable to avoid meat altogether as halal meat may be difficult to source.

The fact that the enquirer was ultra-polite belied any suggestion she was demanding or being entitled. It was a helpful video highlighting halal restaurants in Finland – simple as that.

Few things to note about this episode.

Firstly, as can be seen from the tons of comments, consuming halal food is a matter of great importance to many Muslims who want assurances that they are not falling foul of their religious obligations.

Secondly, such clips are more than useful to such Muslims who collect frequent flyer miles. It saves them the hassle of going through the entire process as someone has taken the trouble to pinpoint halal food sources in Finland.

Thirdly, the enquirer was polite in the extreme. The fact that the restaurants had the relevant certificates on hand meant they were prepared for such enquiries. Why create a fuss over nothing? – Focus Malaysia