Conference turris::cooks

  There's a Muslim community in Boston, and while there's no notesfile
  (that I know of) specifically devoted to Islamic topics, you might try
  posting your request in OPHION::BLACKNOTES, where some readers may be
  able to help. Of course, some of those readers may also read COOKS ...

    I found out that Halal meat is for sale at the Mosque
    on Laurel Street in Worcester, from 10:40-1:30 on Sundays.
    They have chicken and beef. Lamb has to be ordered.
    
    Laurel Street is located in the neighborhood across the street
    from Worcester Memorial Hospital (go down the street directly
    across from the hospital and Laurel street is at the end).

  Thanks for the follow-up.

  For those curious about whether Halal and Kosher are interchangeable,
  I checked with some friends of both religions in question, and from
  the strictest point of view, they're not. The Jewish folks are
  strongly observant, and, given the generally widespread availability
  of Kosher meat in the Northeastern US, they said that if they couldn't
  get Kosher meat, then it probably wouldn't make much difference to
  them whether it was Halal or not. I asked how they would feel if
  traveling in, say, some part of the world where Halal and "ordinary"
  meat were widely available, but not Kosher meat, and they said they'd
  possibly go vegetarian for a short time, or maybe eat Halal meat. They
  probably wouldn't eat "ordinary" meat at all unless it was a situation
  of extreme hardship, and, in such situations, Jewish law specifically
  allows the Kosher laws to be broken.

  My Muslim friends are not quite as strongly observant (it's fairly
  difficult to be so in the US, as other Muslim noters will confirm),
  and they said that they use Kosher meat when appropriate (i.e., when
  observant relatives are visiting), but would prefer Halal meat if it
  were more available.

  According to both of them, the main difference between the two is the
  actual words which are pronounced at the time the animal is
  slaughtered. But they also said that Halal meat, being available in
  much smaller quantity in the US, is more likely to be slaughtered
  "more personally".

  One last thing: I know many people who prefer Kosher meat to
  "ordinary" meat for its presumably higher quality, and not for any
  religious reason. My own experience is that Kosher meat is not of
  higher quality than what I normally buy in the stores which sell meat
  of the quality I prefer, but it is better than the average quality of
  meat available in New England (but that wouldn't be too difficult).

    re .1
    
    I know I'm a little late but I'm way behind in my notes.  There
    is a Persian conference that would be a good place to try its on
    WWF::IRAN.  If there is a Islamic kosher food store in Boston you'd
    probably be able to find out there.
    
    re .4
    
    That's very interesting.  I was wondering what the difference was
    since they both stem from the same common source.  As far as I know
    the physical ritual and rules of the slaughter and treatment of
    the meat is the same.  The prayers have been changed to protect
    the innocent :-).
    
    Mike