Is Halal the same as Kosher?

 

In my previous post I looked at issues of ‘Halal Meat’ in France. During my search I found that Muslims were not the only faith group that were subjected to criticism because of their Halal Diet but Jews’ Kosher Diet was also amidst the criticism. There must be some similarities between the two. In the past I have been told that in cases where Halal meat is unavailable, Muslims can consume Kosher meat. I never fully understood the relationship between these two types of meat so I intend to use this post to search for the relationship between Kosher and Halal. 

According to many online websites Halal is the term used for what is permissible in Islam. In the terms of meat the word Halal is used for the meat from permitted animals that are slaughtered in a specific way according to Islamic rituals. Not all animals are considered Halal. According to one website, example of some animals and drinks that are forbidden in Islam are;

• Pork and pork by products

• Animals that were dead prior to slaughtering

• Animals not slaughtered properly according to Islamic rituals

• Blood and blood by products

• Alcohol

• Carnivorous animals

• Birds of prey

• Land animals without external ears

Kosher on the other hand is the term used for what is permissible and fit to eat in Judaism. In terms of meat the word kosher is also used for the meat of permitted animals slaughtered in a specific way according to Jewish rituals (animals need to be slaughtered in the name of God with a sharp knife and the blood has to drain out). When it comes to meat, in both religions similar practices are followed. But to say that yes all Halal and Kosher is the same, wouldn’t be correct. There are some differences between the two, the main ones are;

• Islam prohibits all intoxicants including alcohols, liquors and wines, whereas Judaism regards alcohol and wines as Kosher. Therefore Kosher foods may contain alcohol. If they do,they are not permissible in Islam.             
• Gelatine is considered Kosher by many Jews regardless of its source  of origin. For Muslims, if gelatine is prepared from animals that are not slaughtered according to Islamic ritual, it is considered unlawful to eat.
•  In Judaism strict separation of dairy and meat products is required even when the food is Kosher, but Islam does not require strict separation of diary and meat products.

There may be other differences between Halal and Kosher that make the Kosher questionable for Muslims to consume, however in cases of unavailability many Muslim Scholars permit Kosher as long as it is prepared according to the orthodox Jewish teachings. Would it be the same the other way round? In this video similar question is posed by a Jewish man. 

Could Kosher and Halal be considered two different branches of the same tree?