Food banks, again

There is a large population of Muslim Somali refugees in a town in Minnesota. The local food bank is not halal friendly. There have been protests that it isn't trying to become halal friendly, culminating in a few signs and a determination on behalf of a local Somalian activist to petition the city council to make the same funds available for her to set up a halal food bank that the council makes available to other food banks in the area -- including the one that caters specifically to Asian clientele.

The combination of poverty, dark skin, and Islam has brought on a hat trick of hatred that makes me want to change my species. Every privileged, patronizing, jingoist slur has been trotted out, from "beggars can't be choosers" to "why should we help them here when they killed our soldiers there?"

Whole extra layers of ugly got added when atheists got into the mix. On the only post I can recommend -- Libby Anne's excellent When Your Atheism Is Really About Attacking Minorities -- the comments headed south instantly. Up to and including a commenter I usually agree with saying that it's totally *okay* if this means kids go hungry, because that ought to serve as pressure on the parents to stop being "stupid" about religious food restrictions.

Wow. Just wow.

I personally think religious constraints are silly on the whole, but y'know? Nobody's ever asked me to die for my atheism, while there ARE those who have starved themselves rather than betray their beliefs.

Furthermore, people are acting like it would be a Somali-only pantry, and as far as I can tell, it's not. It's going to be a halal-friendly pantry that gives food to all in need, and I'm starting to get a burning urge to tell people who are all fussed about forcing "those people" to eat Ahmurkin Style "Hey, maybe you should be forced to eat a little halal food. Fair's fair."

Besides... the many halal food carts and restaurants show that a lot of non-Muslims *do* eat halal food. And enjoy it.